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OF  THF 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

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Received 


Accession  No. 6  6%  /  J          .    Class  No. 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 


A  PSYCHICAL  ROMANCE 


BY 

W.  J.  COLVILLE 

AUTHOR    OF 

DASHED   AGAINST   THE    ROCK,"   "STUDIES   IN    THEOSOPHY,"    "TEXT-BOOK   OF 
MENTAL   THERAPEUTICS,''  AND  NUMEROUS   METAPHYSICAL 
AND    OTHER   WORKS. 


BOSTON: 

BANNER  OF  LIGHT  PUBLISHING  CO., 
9  BOSWORTH  STREET. 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 


A  PSYCHICAL  ROMANCE 


BY 

W.  J.  COLVILLE 

EDITOR   OF 

THE   "PROBLEM    OF   LIFE" 

AUTHOR   OF 

•'  DASHED  AGAINST  THE   ROCK,"  "STUDIES   IN  THEOSOPHY,"  "TEXT  BOOK 

OF  MENTAL  THERAPEUTICS,"  AND  NUMEROUS  METAPHYSICAL  AND 

OTHER  WORKS 


USI7BRSIT7 


NEW  YORK 
EDWARD    LOVELL 

142    WORTH    STREET 


(Ol 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON. 


CHAPTEE  I. 


ON   THE   THBESHOLD. 

ON  a  bright  summer  eTening  in  1887,  a  party  of  friends 
were  gathered  on  the  balcony  in  front  of  an  old-fashioned 
but  comfortable  house  on  Sycamore  Avenue,  almost  in  the 
heart  of  the  business  centre  of  New  York.  The  house,  though 
a  very  large  and  roomy  one,  attracts  but  little  attention  from 
the  busy  throng,  as  it  is  situated  on  one  of  those  little  fre- 
quented thoroughfares  which  still  remain  as  mementoes  of 
the  old  Dutch  settlement  of  a  by-gone  day. 

No.  312  Sycamore  Avenue  is  at  least  one  hundred  years 
old,  and  has  a  wonderful,  though  but  little  known  history. 
Like  many  residences  of  similar  type,  it  has  the  reputation  of 
being  haunted,  and  for  that  reason  the  present  tenant,  Dr. 
Bernard  Maxwell,  is  allowed  to  occupy  a  house  of  twenty-three 
rooms  on  payment  of  an  annual  rent  of  $750.  The  owner  is  a 
quaint  old  German  with  astrological  proclivities,  and  though 
he  is  rarely  in  the  city,  between  proprietor  and  tenant  a 
feeling  of  generous  friendship  subsists  though  the  two  men 
are  about  as  unlike  in  appearance,  disposition  and  sentiment 
as  two  human  beings  can  well  be. 

Gerald  Gustav  Mackenberger  (the  owner  of  the  property) 
is  a  man  over  sixty,  delighting  in  solitude  and  given  over  to 
the  most  ardent  advocacy  of  stellar  fatalism,  while  his  tenant, 
Dr.  Maxwell,  is  a  handsome,  cheerful,  healthy  man  of  forty, 
looking  scarcely  more  than  thirty.  On  the  eventful  evening 


2  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

when  our  story  opens,  Dr.  Maxwell,  a  rising  physician  of  the 
Electric  School  was  entertaining  a  party  of  friends  from  Ver- 
mont, prominent  among  whom  might  have  been  discerned 
the  striking  and  by  no  means  unpleasing  figure  of  the  Eev. 
Onesimus  Templeton,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Saddle- 
rock,  Vermont.  Mr.  Templeton  was  the  possessor  of  a  face 
which  could  not  but  attract  attention,  for  though  not  beauti- 
ful, it  was  strong  and  earnest,  and  the  eyes  shone  with  a 
yearning  pleading  light,  as  though  an  unsatisfied  but  aspiring 
soul  was  ever  reaching  through  them  to  catch  some  knowledge 
from  the  heavenly  spheres  as  yet  denied  it.  In  general 
appearance  Mr.  Templeton  might  be  described  as  tall  (five 
feet,  ten  inches  or  thereabouts),  slender,  narrow-chested,  and 
inclined  to  stoop ;  hair  and  eyes  very  dark ;  hands  small  and 
delicate  for  one  so  tall,  but  not  lacking  in  nervous  power  or 
sinuous  determination.  Raising  his  voice  above  the  voices  of 
his  companions,  who  were  all  buzzing  together  after  the 
manner  of  people  gathered  outside  a  drawing-room  window 
after  dinner  on  a  summer's  night,  his  whole  attitude  one  of 
earnestness  and  deep  conviction — the  reverend  Onesimus, 
addressing  a  portly  lady  at  his  side,  exclaims:  "My  dear 
Mrs.  O'Shannon,  I  tell  you  there  never  was  and  there  never 
can  be  such  a  phenomenon  as  the  one  you  have  just  described. 
The  Jaw  of  nature  renders  it  impossible,  unless  (lowering  his 
voice  to  an  awe-struck,  and  certainly  impressive  undertone), 
which,  heaven  forbid,  some  imp  of  darkness  should  have  been 
permitted  to  read  the  thought  in  your  misguided  daughter's 
mind." 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  Mr.  Templeton,"  replied  the  lady 
thus  vehemently  and  awfully  addressed,  "if  you  are  going  to 
insinuate  that  my  daughter  Matilda  is  in  league  with  the  Evil 
One,  you  may  as  well  stop  your  endeavors  to  convert  me  to 
your  opinions  on  any  subject ;  for  a  better,  purer  girl  than 
my  child  you  won't  find  this  side  the  Atlantic,  though  I  do 
say  it,  who  being  her  mother  should  let  others  sound  her 
praises." 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  3 

"  What's  all  this  loud  talking  about  between  you  two 
this  evening,"  breaks  in  a  cheery,  rich,  round  voice  and  Dr. 
Bernard  Maxwell,  turning  an  amused  glance  on  the  excited 
combatants  who  were  evidently  amusing  the  passers-by,  sug- 
gests that  for  the  present,  at  least,  all  heated  discussions  on 
psychology  shall  be  abandoned,  and  the  evening  devoted  to 
more  rational  and  edifying  enjoyment,  "for  (said  the  good 
doctor,  smiling),  when  any  two  persons  set  out  to  convince 
each  other  by  means  of  verbal  strife,  no  possible  progress  in 
the  work  of  mutual  conviction  can  be  made,  as  the  needful 
conditions  for  making  ideas  plain  to  the  understanding  are  of 
necessity  absent,  when  either  party  is  excited  or  in  the  least 
belligerent." 

By  way  of  turning  the  subject  into  a  more  attractive  and 
gracious  channel,  without,  however,  altering  the  tide  of  the 
discourse,  Dr.  Maxwell  (who  was  a  brilliant  conversationalist 
as  well  as  a  man  of  rare  scientific  and  literary  attainment), 
began  to  relate  an  incident  of  his  recent  voyage  from  Paris 
on  the  magnificent  steamer,  La  Gascogne  of  the  justly  cele- 
brated Transatlantique  line.  He  spoke  as  follows : 

"  As  I  was  sitting  on  deck  one  gorgeous  evening  in  May, 
the  sun  slowly  sinking  beneath  the  waters  as  one  never  sees 
it  set  on  land,  I  heard,  or  thought  I  heard  a  low,  sweet, 
girlish  voice  whispering  in  my  ear,  *  Bernard,  take  care,  I 
implore  you,  or  the  electric  battery  for  which  you  paid  6,000 
francs  in  Paris  will  be  utterly  destroyed.  I  can  see  where  it 
is,  if  you  cannot !'  The  voice,  and  more  than  that,  the  thrill 
accompanying  the  mystic  utterance,  so  powerfully  impressed 
me  that  I  was  being  addressed  by  Heloiee  De-  Montmarte 
(the  daughter  of  the  dearest  friend  I  have  in  all  the  world, 
and  the  man  to  whom  I  owe  almost  all  my  present  success  in 
my  life's  undertakings),  that  I  hastened  to  my  stateroom, 
and  immediately  discovered  that  my  most  valuable  instru- 
ments and  apparatus  were  in  immediate  danger  of  ruin  by 
water.  Hastily  calling  a  steward,  who  quickly  stopped  the 
leakage  from  the  waah  bowl,  I  just  prevented  the  water  from 


4  ONESIMU8    TEMPLETON 

soaking  into  the  very  place  of  all  others  from  which  I  was 
particularly  anxious  to  exclude  all  dampness.  Ruminating 
on  this  extraordinary  incident,  I  returned  to  my  folding  chair 
on  deck,  and  resuming  my  old  position,  gazing  out  upon  the 
water  which  the  moon's  soft  rays  were  just  beginning  to 
glorify,  I  fell  to  meditating  on  the  wonderfully  complex  prob- 
lem of  mental  interaction  never  wholly  absent  from  the  minds 
of  students  of  the  nervous  systems  of  men  and  animalg,  which 
has  been  for  many  years  my  specialty.  As  I  pondered  with 
ever  increasing  surprise  upon  this  most  timely  experience 
which  enabled  me  in  the  very  nick  of  time,  to  save  my  battery 
from  serious  injury,  I  saw  a  thin  blue  cloud  cross  the  sky, 
and  from  this  cloud  (apparently  of  ether),  small  but  intensely 
bright  electric  sparks  proceeded.  Thinking  it  might  be 
merely  an  optical  delusion,  I  rubbed  my  eyes  and  looked 
again,  determined  this  time  not  to  be  mistaken,  when  a  soft, 
silvery  laugh  sounded  at  my  elbow,  and  the  clear,  sweet  tones 
of  Heloise  De  Montmarte's  peculiarly  liquid  and  unmistakeable 
voice  sounded  clearly  enough  to  me,  though  I  am  convinced 
no  other  person  heard  any  sound.  She  said,  '  Why,  Bernard, 
have  you  forgotten  what  papa  told  you  when  we  parted  that 
I  should  always  be  able  to  warn  you  when  anything  spec- 
ially needed  your  attention?  and  here  I  am  to  fulfil  my 
father's  word.' 

"  Almost  dumbfounded,  I  answered  her  in  thought,  my 
lips,  however,  moved  but  in  inarticulate  utterance :  '  But  pray 
tell  me  where  you  are  now  and  what  yeu  are  doing  T  No 
sooner  had  I  given  the  words  (mentally)  to  the  ether,  than  a 
reply  came  close  to  my  ear :  '  Why,  here,  of  course,  talking  to 
you.  Papa's  entertaining  company  in  our  salon,  and  I've 
retired  early  ;  my  body  is  slumbering  as  peacefully  as  usual 
in  my  own  room  in  the  house  you  know  so  well,  33  Avenue 
de  1'Imperatrice,  but  I  can't  stay  any  longer  now,  so  good- 
bye, Bernard,  and  don't  forget  the  alligator.'  With  these 
words  the  voice  became  silent  and  the  mysterious  presence 
had  vanished  from  my  side.  I  was  alone,  intensely  alone  it 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  5 

seemed  after  this  experience,  though  the  deck  was  well  filled 
with  passengers  walking  slowly  and  talking  quickly  as 
steamer  passengers  usually  do  on  a  balmy  moonlight  night  in 
Spring." 

"Oh,  do  tell  us  about  the  alligator,"  broke  in  Lydia 
O'Shannon  (a  graceful  girl  of  eighteen  summers),  "  I  do  so 
love  queer  pets.  Is  there  an  alligator  in  the  house,  and  how 
did  you  get  him  ?" 

"  Well  (said  Dr.  Maxwell,  laughing),  if  you  are  a  good 
girl,  you  shall  see  him  to  morrow ;  he's  asleep  now  in  my 
aunt's  bath-tub ;  he  and  she  are  great  friends.  Prof.  De 
Montmarte  gave  him  to  me  three  years  ago  when  we  were 
travelling  together  in  Florida.  He  seems  to  have  grown  up 
as  a  member  of  our  family,  never  snaps  or  tries  to  bite,  but 
why  should  he,  when  we  treat  him  kindly  and  hold  him  under 
due  restraint ;  is  it  not  man's  prerogative  to  hold  the  lower 
creation  in  subjection  ?  What  say  you  to  this,  Mr.  Templeton, 
does  the  theology  of  the  Baptist  Church  tolerate  so  much 
of  theosophy  ?" 

"  I  really  cannot  decide  such  a  question  without  giving  it 
long  and  prayerful  consideration,"  responded  the  minister 
addressed,  "  but  anyway,  I  shall  be  delighted  to  see  your 
alligator  whenever  it  is  convenient  to  you  to  show  him  to  me. 
Can  we  not  step  inside  now  and  have  a  little  music  ?  Tour 
electric  system  of  lighting  is  such  an  improvement  over  old 
methods,  we  don't  dread  the  heat  generated  by  it." 

So  saying,  Mr.  Templeton,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  and  the 
Misses  O'Shannon,  moved  into  the  large,  roomy  salon  devoted 
to  almost  every  conceivable  modern  use.  Elegantly  but  sim- 
ply furnished,  it  portrayed  clearly  the  disposition  of  the  man 
who  rented  it ;  no  sign  of  niggardliness  on  any  hand,  neither 
any  presumptuous  display ;  all  things  solid,  substantial,  com- 
fortable, cheerful,  and  withal  beautiful. 

Just  as  the  friends  were  composing  themselves  and 
assuming  a  listening  attitude,  for  Miss  Lydia  O'Shannon  was 
taking  her  seat  at  the  grand  piano,  which  was  one  of  Leven- 


6  ONE8IMUS    TEMPLETON 

stein's  very  best,  a  bright,  handsome  boy  of  twelve  devoted 
to  Dr.  Maxwell,  who  had  been  more  than  a  father  to  him 
when  he  was  left  an  abandoned  orphan  eight  years  earlier, 
threw  open  the  door  and  announced,  "  Monsieur  Alphonse  de 
Kabriet."  Immediately  following  the  announcement  of  the 
name,  a  dashing  but  not  particularly  refined  young  man  about 
twenty-five  years  of  age  sauntered  into  the  room,  and  seated 
himself  without  invitation  in  the  most  spacious  and  comfort- 
able arm-chair  in  the  apartment ;  of  course  he  bowed  and 
murmured  "  good  evening,"  on  entering,  but  seeing  no  one 
present  who  impressed  him  with  any  sense  of  special  dignity, 
he  took  no  pains  to  alter  his  usual  nonchalant  manner,  which 
seemed  to  say  more  plainly  than  any  words  could  express :  "  I 
honor  you  by  condescending  to  address  you !" 

Mons.  Alphonse  was  of  French  descent,  born  and  educated 
in  New  Orleans,  accustomed  to  the  theatrical  stage  and 
particularly  to  the  box  office,  almost  from  infancy ;  exceed- 
ingly conceited,  somewhat  imposing  in  general  appearance 
and  with  an  amazing  amount  of  self-possession  not  unmixed 
with  a  good  supply  of  genuine  "  smartness."  By  means  of 
these  qualifications  he  had  always  managed  to  elbow  his  way 
either  by  sheer  effrontery  or  subtle  diplomacy,  into  the  most 
exclusive  circles  of  society.  Having  no  very  decided  views  on 
any  subject,  and  knowing  how  to  get  on  the  right  side  of 
almost  every  susceptible  person  he  encountered,  extremely 
versatile  in  mediocre  accomplishments,  and  speaking  three 
languages,  English,  French,  and  Spanish  fluently,  if  not 
always  grammatically,  he  found  himself  by  reason  of  no 
special  merit,  and  no  one  knew  exactly  how  or  why,  in  the 
very  midst  of  the  most  literary  people  in  New  York.  The 
object  of  his  present  visit  to  Dr.  Maxwell  was  to  interest  that 
gentleman  in  a  series  of  lectures  on  Mental  Science,  for  which 
he  was  endeavoring  to  secure  a  distinguished  audience. 
These  were  to  bo  delivered  by  Mrs.  Felina  Catsleigh,  who 
having  grown  tired  of  unsuccessful  theatrical  ventures,  had 
taken  up  Metaphysics  as  a  means  of  livelihood. 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  7 

Addressing  Dr.  Maxwell  in  his  usual  familiar  manner, 
Alphonse  begins,  "  This  Mrs.  Catsleigh  beats  all  you've  ever 
heard;  you'll  rave  over  her  the  first  time  you  hear  her,  and 
isn't  she  a  taking  woman  in  a  drawing-room !  I  don't  pretend 
to  follow  her  all  the  time,  she's  often  too  deep  for  me ;  but 
it's  sound  reasoning,  I  tell  you,  you  ought  to  get  her  before 
the  Medical  Board;  she'd  open  their  eyes  for  them,"  and 
with  this  fervid  eulogy  of  the  new  aspirant  to  fame  in  the 
ranks  of  "  Mental  Science  Healing,"  Alphonse  took  from  his 
pocket  a  parcel  of  circulars  (at  least  200),  elegantly  printed 
on  toned  paper,  and  about  100  tickets,  pretty  little  conceits  in 
embroidered  cardboard,  bearing  the  following  inscription : 

"  Conversations  Extraordinaires,  Mme.  Felina  Catsleigh 
(of  Paris)  will  give  twelve  lessons  in  Mental  Science,  teaching 
you  how  you  need  never  be  sick  or  unhappy,  according  to 
the  latest  revelation  of  Truth,  at  Poodleton  Hall,  W.  Minerva 
Street,  Tuetdays,  Thursdays,  and  Saturdays.  Four  weeks. 
First  lesson,  Tuesday,  July  21,  at  3  P.M.  Tuition  fee,  $25." 

"  Considering  the  season  is  off,  the  terms  are  very  low. 
All  the  other  metaphysicians  charge  $50  and  many  of  them 
$100,"  said  Alphonse,  patronizingly,  "you  would  be  foolish 
indeed,  interested  as  you  are  in  such  things,  to  miss  this 
unique  opportunity." 

"  Well,  I  will  take  six  tickets,"  said  Dr.  Maxwell,  and 
straightway,  that  gentleman  put  $150  into  the  palm  of  the 
courteous  Alphonse,  who  still  remained  seated,  and  who  after 
remarking,  "  mighty  good  bargain,"  handed  a  receipt. 

Mr.  Templeton  watching  this  transaction  from  his  corner 
opposite  the  new-comer,  eyed  him  severely,  and  sternly 
observed :  "  The  new  gospel  is  not  as  free  as  the  old,  I  take 
it.  $25  for  twelve  lectures  is  not  a  very  small  price  to  ask,  I 
must  say." 

Though  this  remark  was  not  intended  for  the  ears  of 
Alphonse,  that  gentleman  who  had  cultivated  his  hearing  as 
well  as  his  sight  to  an  unusual  degree  of  perfection  in  his 
favorite  capacity  of  trained  spy  and  confidential  private 


8  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

detective,  rose  from  his  languorous  position,  and  drawing 
himself  to  his  full  height,  Bneeringly  replied,  with  a  con- 
temptuous jeer  in  his  voice: 

"You  parsons  are  nice  people  to  talk  about  a  free  gospel. 
What  with  your  fine  churches  hardly  ever  open,  and  your 
big  salaries  for  which  you  do  next  to  nothing  (I  mean  no 
offense  to  you  personally,  sir,  for  I  don't  know  you),  you  may 
well  try  and  keep  people  from  every  place  of  amusement,  and 
even  endeavor  to  stop  them  from  hearing  lectures;  it's  all  a 
blind,  I  say,  you  are  afraid  if  they  gave  a  dollar  to  anybody 
else  you  would  go  short.  As  to  religion,  that  is  well  enough ; 
but  when  it  comes  to  taking  the  bread  out  of  the  mouths  of 
those  who  work  hard  for  it,  as  you  never  do,  it's  another 
matter.  What  say  you,  Dr.  Maxwell  ?" 

"My  dear  air,"  said  the  gentleman  addressed,  "Mr. 
Templeton  is  a  minister  and  our  guest,  consequently,  I  think 
it  ill  becomes  you  to  assail  the  profession  he  honors,  in  our 
house  and  in  his  presence.  You  cannot  render  a  service  to 
your  own  ideas  by  such  displays  of  feeling.  I  must  reserve 
my  own  opinion  for  a  more  suitable  occasion,  however,  as  I 
have  been  appealed  to,  I  confess  I  do  not  think  Mrs.  Catsleigh's 
terms  exorbitant;  and  I  feel  certain  we  shall  receive  more 
than  our  money's  worth  in  listening  to  her  instructions.  But 
pardon  me,  we  were  about  to  have  some  music  when  you 
entered.  Will  you  not  stay,  and  as  I  think  it  probable  you 
are  yourself  a  singer,  may  I  ask  you  to  favor  us  after  Miss 
O'Shannon  has  given  us  that  lovely  gem  of  melody,  Lambi- 
lotta's  chefd'anvre,  '  O  Give  Me  Wings'?" 

Miss  O'Shannon's  voice  was  clear,  sweet  and  musical,— 
not  very  highly  cultivated,  but  tenderly  expressive;  and 
though  she  often  appeared  a  light,  frivolous  girl,  when  she 
sang,  her  whole  manner  was  altered ;  it  seemed  as  though 
some  wondrous  inspiration  fell  upon  her,  lifting  her  entirely 
above  her  ordinary  self,  transforming  her  into  a  gifted  seeress, 
blessed  with  the  divine  power  of  touching  the  deepest  springs 
of  human  feeling  through  the  avenues  of  song.  When  the 


ONESIMU8    TEMPLETON  9 

touching  strains  had  ended,  and  the  breathless  silence  which 
had  fallen  on  the  company  was  breaking,  as  the  fair  young 
damsel  resumed  her  ottoman  at  her  mother's  side,  Alphonse 
stepped  forward,  and  extending  his  hand  to  the  lady,  said  in 
his  most  persuasive  accents:  "My  dear  Ma'amselle,  will  you 
not  accompany  me  in  *  Toreador  ?'  "  Receiving  an  approving 
nod  from  Dr.  Maxwell,  and  "go,  my  child,"  from  her  mother, 
the  gentle  Lydia  allowed  herself  to  be  led  to  the  piano  by 
Alphonse,  who  looking  admiringly  at  himself  in  a  pier  glass 
opposite,  twisted  the  ends  of  his  moustuche,  and  adjusted 
his  tie  and  watch  chain,  quite  unnecessarily,  while  his 
accompanist  was  dashing  off  the  prelude.  Then  bracing  him- 
self as  though  a  bull  fight  were  in  reality  about  to  commence, 
he  shouted  the  boisterous  composition  of  Bizet  as  though  he 
was  singing  to  an  immense  audience  in  a  great  opera  house, 
apostrophizing  the  chandelier  and  waving  a  red  silk  handker- 
chief in  his  determination  to  act  the  song  as  well  as  sing  it, 
he  fairly  persecuted  the  ear  drums  of  his  audience,  who 
moved  quickly  to  the  furthest  corners  of  the  room  while  the 
performance  lasted.  Applause  followed,  and  only  too  ready 
to  accept  an  encore,  he  gave  his  own  peculiar  version  of 
"Home  Sweet  Home,"  in  a  style  that  savored  of  bathos  rather 
than  pathos.  His  voice  was  undeniably  powerful,  and  many 
of  his  tones  were  firm  and  good,  but  far  too  loud  for  a 
drawing-roorn,  while  his  excessive  mannerism  greatly  marred 
the  effect  of  a  vocally  creditable  effort.  Looking  unutterable 
things  out  of  his  coal-black  eyes  at  the  company  whom  he 
had  so  graciously  deigned  to  delight  (to  use  the  language  he 
invariably  employed  when  puffing  himself  in  those  of  the 
society  journals  to  whose  columns  he  could  gain  an  entrance), 
he  subsided  into  comparative  repose  on  a  neighboring  sofa, 
where  stretching  himself  at  full  length,  he  exclaimed : 

"That  is  hard  work,  I  tell  you,  I  am  hungry  and  thirsty 
and  tired  into  the  bargain,  I  suppose  you  have  something  nice 
going." 

At  these  extraordinary  remarks  from  a  total  stranger, 


10  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

Dr.  Maxwell  touched  an  electric  knob,  and  almost  instantly 
a  page  appeared  bearing  a  tray  of  choice  but  not  extravagant 
edibles;  the  conversation  then  took  a  gastronomic  turn, 
and  one  of  the  ladies  addressed  Alphonse  in  the  following 
terms : 

"  I  have  heard,  but  do  not  of  course  know  how  true  it  is, 
that  metaphysicians  can  eat  anything ;  now  I'm  a  martyr  to 
indigestion  and  have  just  commenced  to  take  electric  treatment 
from  our  host,  but  he  doesn't  allow  me  any  meat  even.  I  am 
permitted  to  eat  nothing  but  fruits  and  cereals,  while  my 
principal  beverage  is  hot  water ;  what  does  Mrs.  Catsleigh 
say  on  this  subject  ?" 

"  Well,"  responded  that  lady's  representative,  "  you  must 
ask  her  yourself,  blessed  if  I  know.  When  we  dine  together 
we  have  quail  on  toast,  and  lots  of  other  delicacies,  but  some- 
times when  people  are  too  nervous,  she  does  tell  them  not  to 
eat  pork  and  shell-fish  and  some  other  things  discarded  by 
the  Hebrews,  of  whom  she  seems  very  fond,  especially  when 
they  are  free  with  their  coin." 

"  Excuse  my  interrupting  you,"  broke  in  the  well-modu- 
lated accents  of  Dr.  Maxwell's  always  winning  voice,  "I  do 
not  think  either  of  you  understand  what  I  feel  to  be  the  true 
position  on  the  diet  question.  Mrs.  O'Shannon  concludes  that 
I  attach  as  much  importance  to  the  simple  question  of  diet 
as  those  physicians  who  make  obesity  a  specialty.  I  do 
nothing  of  the  kind,  but  my  studies  with  the  learned  and 
excellent  Prof.  Jerome  do  Montmarte  in  Paris,  have  led  me 
to  study  the  science  of  correspondences  in  a  way  slightly 
differing  from  that  in  which  it  is  usually  studied  by  the 
reputed  disciples  of  Swedenborg, — a  sage  and  seer  for  whom 
I  confess  unbounded  respect  and  admiration.  I  feel  it  to 
be  an  essential  factor  in  human  development  that  we  should 
accrete  and  absorb  such  of  the  forces  of  the  invisible  kingdoms 
of  nature  as  correspond  to  those  mental  and  moral  traits  we 
seek  to  develop,  avoiding  all  indulgence  in  such  appetites  as 
tend  earthward  instead  of  heavenward.  I  am  no  advocate  of 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  11 

long  fasts,  except  in  exceptional  cases  where  a  temporary 
rest  from  the  work  of  physical  assimilation  is  imperative, 
but  I  do  indeed  contend  that  the  ordinary  diet  of  artificial 
zation, — miscalled  civilization,  is  simply  barbaric,  it  haying 
neither  justification  in  reason  nor  sanction  in  morals." 

"But  what  is  a  fellow  to  eat?"  questioned  Alphonse, 
excitedly.  "You  don't  expect  us  to  subsist  on  roots  and 
uncooked  grains  like  some  people  who  called  at  our  rooms  the 
•ther  day  and  asked  me  to  distribute  *  Korokoo-heshun ' 
literature  among  Mrs.  Catsleigh's  students  ?" 

"  Pardon  me,  my  dear  sir,"  replied  the  doctor,  smiling. 
"  I  have  no  sympathy  with  fanatical  extremists,  and  I  consider 
cooked  food  in  proper  quantities  and  of  the  right  kind,  advan- 
tageous to  us  all  as  we  are  at  present  situated.  I  do  not  even 
banish  meats  entirely  from  my  table,  though  I  very  rarely  eat 
meat  myself,  and  I  induce  all  my  patients  to  gradually  break 
away  from  it,  but  the  point  I  am  aiming  at  is  that  there  is  a 
science  of  feeding  as  well  as  of  everything  else,  and  this 
science  like  all  true  sciences,  has  its  foundation  in  spiritual 
not  in  physical  chemistry.  I  hold  that  under  extreme 
pressure  of  need,  or  in  a  state  of  unusually  exalted  spiritual 
feeling,  the  influence  of  anything  and  everything  usually 
deleterious  in  its  effects  upon  the  human  organism,  can  be 
successfully  resisted ;  but  under  ordinary  circumstances  it  is 
disorderly  and  absurd  to  tell  people  to  eat  and  drink  anything  \ 
and  everything  because  such  words  to  the  majority  justify  ] 
unlimited  physical  license.  I  do  not  say  that  the  teachers  and 
practitioners  of  '  Christian  Science,'  are  other  than  extremely 
temperate  in  their  demands  and  habits  in  such  respects,  but 
if  they  are  bent  on  elevating  the  race,  they  must  seek  to  wean  I 
people  from  excesses,  not  teach  so  as  to  imply  their  justifica-  \ 
tion.  I  shall  take  the  liberty  of  questioning  Mrs.  Catsleigh  on 
these  points  as  soon  as  she  gives  me  an  opening  by  raising 
them  in  her  lessons,  which  I  shall  attend  faithfully,  with  a 
view  of  learning  all  I  possibly  can  of  the  system,  of  which, 
from  all  I  hear,  she  is  a  brilliant  and  successful  advocate." 


12  ONE8IMUS    TEMPLETON 

"  Oh,  you  and  she  will  get  on  first  rate,"  responded  her 
agent,  enthusiastically,  "she  always  enjoys  talking  with 
doctors  who  know  something,  and  I  don't  see  that  you  and 
she  are  far  apart  in  theory,  whatever  you  may  be  in  practice, 
but,  bless  me,  it's  10:30,  I  must  be  going;  I've  three  more 
engagements  to-night,  so  ta  ta"  And  with  this  unceremoni- 
ous leave-taking,  accompanied,  however,  by  a  profound  and 
not  ungraceful  bow,  the  irrepressible  Alphonse  departed  for 
pastures  new. 

As  soon  as  he  was  gone  the  party  drew  themielves 
together  in  the  pretty  room,  which  was  unusually  attractive 
when  softly  illumined  by  electricity,  and  as  though  feeling 
some  subtle  sense  of  an  invisible  presence  brooding  near,  all 
sat  in  profound  silence  for  about  five  minutes,  after  which  a 
soft,  bird-like  voice  was  heard  piping  in  the  room  as  though 
a  telephone  connected  the  apartment  with  some  distant  salon. 
No  material  telephone  however,  communicated  with  Prof,  de 
Montmarte's  Parisian  residence,  and  it  was  the  voice  of  his 
charming  daughter,  Heloise,  which  vibrated  through  the  room 
in  clear,  penetrating  accents.  Mr.  Templeton  appeared 
thunderstruck;  Mrs.  O'Shannon  visibly  started.  Dr.  Maxwell 
listened  quietly  as  though  thoroughly  used  to  such  experiences, 
while  Lydia  gently  rose,  and  taking  her  seat  at  the  piano, 
began  playing  as  she  had  never  played  before,  a  soft,  dreamy 
composition  of  Schumann,  the  favorite  composer  of  the  lovely 
Heloise,  whom  she  had  never  seen.* 

As  soon  as  Lydia  rose  from  the  instrument,  the  mystical, 
yet  quite  natural  tones  of  the  unseen  visitor's  voice  spoke  in 
the  following  words : 

"  I  who  am  bodily  asleep  in  Paris  have  been  commissioned 
to  visit  you  this  evening  and  declare  my  presence  thus,  that 
our  new  friend  (indicating  Mr.  Templeton)  may  know  that 


*Tlie  reader  must  bear  in  mind  that  tlie  0' Shannon's  were  on  a 
visit  to  Dr.  Maxwell,  and  knew  none  of  his  European  friends,  indeed, 
they  had  never  crossed  the  Atlantic.  Heloise  and  her  father  had  never 
met  them  in  America. 


ONESIMU8    TEMPLETON  13 

the  deep  secret  of  his  soul  is  not  a  secret  to  those  who  consti- 
tute the  circle  to  which  he  belongs,  though  quite  unconsciously 
to  himself,  save  when  an  occasional  glimpse  behind  the  veil 
of  man-made  dogma  permits  him  to  gaze  upon  the  spiritual 
temple  of  which  the  purest  visible  church  is  but  a  shadow. 
In  a  few  months  from  now  the  bonds  will  be  broken,  the 
letter  will  be  cast  aside  and  the  spirit  revealed.  You,  my 
friend  (addressing  Mr.  Templeton  personally),  have  been 
reading  Swedenborg  in  secret.  You  have  pondered  and 
prayed  over  the  Arcana  Coelestia  and  Apocalypse  Unveiled  ; 
you  have  struggled  with  doubts  innumerable,  and  have 
counted  it  sin  to  question  the  interpretation  put  upon  Scripture 
by  your  own  and  other  evangelical  sects ;  but  light  is  to  come 
to  you  very  shortly,  and  through  your  own  individual  experi- 
ence will  you  be  led  to  cast  aside  all  fetters  of  dead  literalism, 
and  preach  the  gospel  as  its  spirit  is  revealed  to  you." 

To  say  that  Mr.  Templeton  was  startled  would  be  to 
utterly  fail  to  describe  a  tithe  of  his  palpable  emotion.  He 
was  literally  convulsed  with  wonder ;  his  agitation  knew  no 
bounds,  and  rising  suddenly  to  his  feet,  he  cried  impetuously 
in  hia  loudest  tone,  "  My  God,  if  this  be  true,  how  blind  I 
have  been  in  fighting  it.  Swedenborg's  works,  the  very 
volumes  alluded  to  by  this  mysterious,  unseen  speaker,  are 
in  my  bureau  drawer  at  home  in  Saddlerock,  Vermont.  I 
took  them  from  a  member  of  my  congregation  unknowingly, 
for  when  she  moved  to  Boston  she  gave  me  all  her  theological 
library;  these  two  books  were  among  her  collection;  they 
were  uncut  and  had  evidently  never  been  lead — hardly 
noticed.  Not  feeling  they  were  suitable  for  general  perusal 
by  my  visitors,  I  took  them  to  my  chamber  and  locked  them 
up  among  my  private  papers.  They  some  way  fascinated  me, 
and  I  have  been  for  some  time  past  reading  them  nightly 
prior  to  retiring.  This  practice  I  only  discontinued  three 
days  ago  when  I  came  to  visit  you  on  my  summer  vacation 
while  my  church  is  closed  for  renovation." 

Once  again  the  clear  voice  rang  out  through  the  apart- 


14  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

ment,  "  Have  no  fear,  truth  will  not  ask  any  of  you  to  be  itu 
martyrs,  though  it  calls  on  you  all  to  be  its  fearless,  tireless 
advocates.  My  father  requests  you  to  assemble  here  next 
Sunday  at  10  P.M.,  to  hold  an  electric  stance,  when  I  trust 
the  truth  of  spiritual  telegraphy  will  be  yet  more  convincingly 
revealed  to  you.  God's  blessing  is  over  you.  I  do  not  invoke 
it,  I  declare  it." 

As  the  clear,  bell-like  utterance  subsided  into  silence, 
the  household  at  312  Sycamore  Avenue  felt  a  delightful 
sensation  of  rest  steal  over  its  every  member,  and  seeking 
their  respective  couches  did  not  find  "  balmy  slumber  "  diffi- 
cult to  woo. 


CHAPTER  II. 


A   PBIMA.BY   LESSON   IN    SPIRITUAL   SCIENCE. 


"  All !  might  I  soar  beyond  the  sky. 
And  learning  truth  which  ne'er  can  die, 
Press  on  and  on  and  never  tire, 
While  listening  to  the  angelic  lyre, 
Till  comprehending  music  there, 
Learn  to  make  this  small  star  more  fair.1 


THE  day  following  that  on  which  our  story  opened  was 
the  occasion  of  the  commencement  of  Mrs.  Catsleigh's 
course  of  Metaphysical  teachings,  for  which  Dr.  Max v,  ell  had 
purchased  six  tickets,  that  he  might  invite  his  guests  to  share 
the  profit  of  the  instruction  with  him.  As  not  unfrequently 
happens  in  New  York  city,  during  the  heated  term,  this 
Tuesday  morning  was  mild  and  breezy.  A  delightful  wind 
was  stirring,  bearing  with  it  "  the  odor  of  brine  from  the 
ocean,"  and  so  far  relieving  the  tedium  of  midsummer  heat, 
as  to  induce  quite  a  crowd  of  persons  usually  too  fatigued  to 
stir,  to  become  pedestrians. 

Dr.  Maxwell  who  was  always  an  early  riser,  was  out 
before  7,  in  company  with  Mr.  Templeton  who  always  rose  at 
that  hour  in  winter,  and  at  a  still  earlier  hour  in  summer. 
Sauntering  along  in  Fuschia  Park  (one  of  those  charming 
little  oases  in  the  city,  which  makes  New  York  next  to  Paris, 
the  most  delightful  of  all  metropolitan  cities),  the  two  gentle- 
men fell  to  conversing  eagerly  on  the  subject  of  the  previous 
night's  remarkable  experience. 

"  How  can  we  account  for  it,"  said  the  Rev,  Onesimus, 
"  unless  we  accept  your  interpretation,  which  is  that  the 


16  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

phenomenon  owes  its  origin  to  its  alleged  cause  ?  I  cannot 
see  how  it  can  be  otherwise.  Imposition  in  your  house  is 
impossible  and  how  could  the  cleverest  impostor  even  though 
a  superb  ventriloquist,  or  master  of  a  concealed  telephone,  or 
even  phonograph,  have  known  about  those  two  volumes  of 
Swedenborg  in  my  private  possession  under  lock  and  key, 
several  hundred  miles  away.  The  circumstance  is  so  start- 
ling, novel,  and  withal  so  exasperatingly  inexplicable  from 
the  standpoint  of  my  former  prejudices  that  I  cannot  but 
believe  we  are  on  the  verge  of  some  discoveries  in  the  field  of 
mental  science,  whose  importance  to  the  world  I  do  not  dare 
to  estimate  even  in  fancy." 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Templeton,"  responded  Dr.  Maxwell,  "  to 
me  these  singular  occurrences  have  become  so  familiar,  I  no 
longer  wonder  at  them  any  more  than  at  the  triumphs  of 
electrical  science.  I  experience  communion  with  the  unseen 
world  as  naturally  as  I  breathe  or  discharge  any  of  the  duties 
pertaining  to  my  avocation,  all  of  which  are  startling  and 
incomprehensible  to  the  inexperienced  in  such  matters.  I 
never  shared  your  prejudice  against  Spiritualism,  and  I  never 
knew  what  it  was  to  fear  any  other  devil  than  the  lower 
passions  of  our  nature,  which  tempt  us  continually  to  err 
until  we  have  subdued  them  to  the  spirit.  My  father  and 
mother  were  both  very  liberal  in  their  views,  they  never  tried 
to  force  me  to  accept  any  special  religious  dogma;  I  was 
allowed  to  think  and  reason  for  myself.  I  went  to  a  Unitarian 
Sunday-school  regularly  for  seven  years,  where  the  superin- 
tendent and  all  the  teachers  were  at  one  with  the  excellent 
minister  Dr.  Bellows,  in  urging  us  to  cultivate  our  own  moral 
instincts.  I  never  knew  a  religion  of  fear,  could  never 
understand  why  people  had  such  dread  of  the  Almighty,  and 
though  the  Unitarians  with  whom  I  was  brought  up  were  not 
Spiritualists,  my  aunt  who  is  now  residing  with  me,  and  who 
has  an  alligator  for  a  pet,  was  during  my  boyhood  a  private 
clairvoyant.  Her  circumstsnces  were  fortunately  such  that 
she  never  needed  to  ask  money  for  her  services,  she  never 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  17 

advertised,  and  her  possession  of  a  rare  psychic  gift  was 
known  only  to  her  intimate  friends;  only  those  of  their 
acquaintance  who  by  expressing  themselves  as  anxious  to 
investigate  Spiritualism  privately,  were  introduced  to  her. 
She  never  tried  to  obtain  communications  for  anybody ;  the 
lower  forms  of  '  for  tune- telling '  she  detests,  as  I  am  sure  you 
and  I  do;  but  frequently  in  the  midst  of  ordinary  conversation 
on  the  most  indifferent  matters,  her  fine  expressive  face  will 
grow  suddenly  illuminated  and  her  whole  manner  change. 
Then  in  a  few  exquisitely  chosen  sentences,  she  will  point  out 
to  her  amazed  and  reverent  listeners,  exactly  how  they  should 
act  in  some  important  crisis. 

Again  and  again,  when  a  boy  between  twelve  and  fifteen, 
I  have  sat  spellbound  on  a  footstool  at  her  feet,  receiving 
counsel,  wiser  by  far  than  even  she  (wise  woman  though  she 
is)  could  give  me  in  her  ordinary  state.  How  she  detests  the 
words  '  control  *  and  '  abnormal,'  along  with  other  common 
phrases  used  to  express  the  subjugation  of  one  will  to  the 
coercive  dominance  of  another,  with  her  it  has  always  been 
illumination,  inspiration,  prophetic  insight,  anything  you 
choose  to  call  it;  provided  the  word  or  phrase  expresses 
exaltation  not  depression  of  humanity." 

"  But,"  interrupted  Mr.  Templeton  suddenly,  "  how  can 
your  aunt  then  be  in  any  sense  a  spiritualist  or  a  medium, 
she  cannot  suppose  herself  enlightened  by  individual  human 
minds,  she  must  receive  or  think  she  receives  a  divine  afflatus 
lifting  her  completely  above  the  ordinary  plane  of  normal 
consciousness  to  a  much  higher  level  of  perception  ?" 

"  Permit  me  to  explain/'  resumed  the  doctor,  "  there  are 
distinctly  two,  if  not  more,  spiritualistic  schools.  One  school  in- 
deed does  depress  the  individual,  by  attributing  everythingto 
the  action  of  the  •  disembodied '  acting  through  the  *  embodied/ 
as  water  pours  through  an  unresisting  pipe ;  but  this  school 
is  as  a  rule,  ignorant  and  bigoted,  and  has  contributed  noth- 
ing but  iconoclasm  and  platitude  to  the  literature  of  the  day. 
It  is  to  this  school  you  must  look  for  wretchedly  ungram- 


18  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

matical  speeches  from  the  greatest  grammarians  "who  ever 
lived,  and  for  direct  messages  from  Osiris,  Buddha,  Plato, 
Confucius,  and  of  course  Jesus  and  his  apostles,  couched  in 
language  so  ridiculous  and  conveying  so  little  that  one  can 
scarcely  wonder  at  the  ridicule  heaped  on  its  advocates  by  a 
scoffing  public.  There  is,  however,  another  and  ever  enlarg- 
ing school  of  truly  intellectual  and  spiritually  minded  men 
and  women  who  look  to  spiritual  communion  rather  than  to 
spirit  control  as  the  means  of  gaining  genuine  access  to  the 
realities  of  the  invisible  universe. 

"  Mrs.  Emma  Hardinge  Britten,  whom  1  heard  in  New 
York  before  I  went  to  college,  impressed  me  as  the  beau  ideal 
of  intellectual  womanhood ;  she  never  for  an  instant  repudi- 
ated Spiritualism,  though  she  constantly  urged  mediumistic 
persons  not  to  neglect  self -culture.  My  aunt  ar  d  Mrs.  Britten 
were  once  great  friends,  and  when  that  lady  was  Miss 
Hardinge,  they  were  frequently  companions  in  psychical 
research.  My  aunt  is  a  natural  clairvoyant,  whose  gifts 
displayed  themselves  spontaneously  in  childhood ;  .they  were 
never  of  a  physical  order,  tables  and  chairs  were  never 
agitated  in  her  presence;  but  advice,  warning,  prophetic 
exhortation,  and  most  marvelous  insight  into  the  past  and 
future  of  those  about  her,  distinguished  her  as  a  possessor  of 
the  rare  gift  of  spiritual  divination,  which  some  of  the  most 
enlightened  among  orientals  possessed  in  Bible  times ;  and 
speaking  of  the  Bible,  I  shall  hope,  Mr.  Templeton,  that  you 
will  join  and  assist  us  in  our  Bible-class,  which  meets  at  my 
house  every  Wednesday  afternoon.  We  are  now  discussing 
the  life  of  Joseph  in  the  light  of  present  day  experiences,  and 
I  shall  have  something  to  say  on  two  diametrically  opposite 
kinds  of  divination  mentioned  in  the  story  of  his  career,  that 
I  am  sure  will  interest  you.  Persons  of  all  shades  of  opinion 
fill  my  rooms  to  overflowing  every  week  in  the  full  season ;  as 
it  is  now  late  in  July  many  of  our  usual  frequenters  have  left 
the  city,  but  several  who  are  at  Manhattan  Beach  and  other 
accessible  places  come  over  as  usual  every  Wednesday.  I 


ONE8IMU8    TEMPLETON  19 

hope  you  will  not  get  tired  of  so  much  argument.  Mrs.  Cats- 
leigh  this  afternoon  (who,  by  the  way,  I  have  an  intense 
curiosity  to  watch  and  study  as  well  as  hear),  and  our  Bible 
reading  to-morrow — but,  you  told  me  you  wanted  to  use  your 
present  holiday  in  investigating  psychism,  as  you  expressed 
it  in  your  letter.  I  am,  I  think,  as  good  as  my  word,  if  not 
better,  in  affording  you  facilities  ;  my  house  is  a  perfect  ren- 
dezvous for  persons  who  are  studying  the  'occult;'  a  word, 
by  the  way,  which  I  greatly  dislike,  though  I  can  understand 
it  as  signifying  to  many  people  an  endeavor  to  bring  hidden 
things  to  light ;  perhaps  it  is  permissible,  though  I  think 
decidedly  infelicitous." 

As  Mr.  Templeton  expressed  himself  as  only  too  glad  and 
indeed  most  anxious  to  see  and  hear  as  much  as  possible 
between  that  day  and  September  1st,  when  he  must  return  to 
Saddlerock,  a  neighboring  clock  sounded  the  hour  of  nine,  so 
the  two  friends  hastened  their  steps  homeward  to  join  the 
rest  of  our  party  at  the  breakfast  table.  They  entered  the 
breakfast-room  just  as  Mrs.  Priscilla  Finchley  (Dr.  Maxwell's 
aunt  and  housekeeper)  was  pouring  out  the  coffee  and  dis- 
tributing the  eggs.  It  was  an  invariable  rule  at  312  Sycamore 
avenue  that  no  one  should  wait  for  anybody  else.  Meals 
commenced  at  the  appointed  hour  punctually,  those  who 
heard  the  gong  and  responded,  took  their  seats  at  the  table; 
those  who  were  out  or  engaged  came  in  when  it  suited  them. 
This  arrangement  was  necessary  to  the  Doctor's  comfort  and 
convenience,  as  his  numerous  professional  duties  made  it 
impossible  for  him  to  be  a  slave  to  tabular  conventionalities, 
and  it  suited  every  inmate  of  his  household  to  perfection. 
Visitors  were  never  under  the  necessity  of  hurrying  home  to 
get  something  to  eat  at  a  particular  moment;  the  Doctor 
kept  "  open  house  "  literally,  and  simple  but  delicious  food 
was  always  ready  for  any  one  who  wanted  it,  a  few  minutes 
after  such  need  was  expressed. 

Whenever  the  whole  party  could  assemble  at  the  table 
they  invariably  did  so,  for  nothing  is  so  charming  as  to  eat 


20  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

leisurely  in  pleasant  company.  Mrs.  Finchley  was  a  model 
housekeeper ;  though  a  true  "  Mary,"  she  had  enough 
"  Martha "  in  her  disposition  to  prevent  her  from  ever  for- 
getting the  physical  necessities  of  those  for  whom  it  was  her 
delight  to  provide.  She  was  perfectly  in  sympathy  with  her 
nephew  and  understood  him  thoroughly  as  well  as  he  under- 
stood himself,  and  the  greatest  charm  of  his  development  was 
that  he  had  reached  a  point  where  he  had  made  his  own 
acquaintance;  he  thus  knew  exactly  what  he  wanted,  and  so 
did  not  manifest  caprice. 

Mrs.  Finchley  had  just  passed  fifty-eight  when  we  were 
first  introduced  to  her.  Her  hair  was  soft  silver  gray,  orna- 
mented with  a  simple  lace  head-dress,  quite  unpretentious 
but  of  attractive  design ;  her  complexion  was  youthful  in  the 
extreme ;  no  paints,  powders,  lotions  or  cosmetics  (foul  relics 
of  barbarism),  had  been  allowed  to  injure  her  exquisite  white 
skin ;  her  hands  and  face  were  entirely  free  from  wrinkles, 
and  in  her  soft  cashmere  gown,  ornamented  with  a  single 
epray  of  heliotrope  at  the  throat,  Bhe  appeared  like  an  elder 
sister  of  her  handsome  nephew.  He  looked  thirty,  she 
scarcely  over  forty;  their  ages  were  forty  and  fifty-eight 
respectively.  Workers  they  were  and  had  ever  been,  but 
worriers  they  were  not.  They  rested  in  work,  by  working 
restfully  and  resting  actively  they  solved  the  problem  of 
health  and  contentment ;  though  always  occupied  they  were 
rarely  if  ever  even  slightly  fatigued. 

Miss  Lydia  O'Shannon  looked  very  sweet  and  spirituelle 
in  a  snow-white  muslin  gown  decorated  with  pink  rosebuds, 
while  her  portly  mother,  in  her  elaborate  robe  de  chambre, 
which  she  insisted  on  wearing  at  the  breakfast  table,  looked 
like  what  she  was, — a  very  good-natured,  but  not  exceedingly 
reposeful  Irishwoman  of  not  quite  the  highest  type. 

Matilda  O'Shannon  was  a  gentle,  nestling  creature,  per- 
fectly enamored  of  Mrs.  Finchley,  by  whose  side  she  sat  in 
quiet  happiness,  scarcely  exchanging  a  word  with  anybody  at 
the  table,  but  evidently  enjoying  her  coffee,  toast  and  egg, 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  21 

with  fresh  watercress,  more  than  many  a  princess  surrounded 
by  her  courtiers,  enjoys  a  sumptuous  palace  banquet.  During 
breakfast  the  party  was  talkative,  as  ail  parties  should  be 
when  eating.  One  of  Dr.  Maxwell's  inflexible  rules  for  his 
patients  was,  "  Never  eat  rapidly,  never  eat  when  your  mind 
is  unquiet,  never  eat  in  gloomy  silence,  never  think  of  what 
you  are  eating."  If  this  rulo,  a  practical  lesson  in  four  brief 
sentences,  is  studied  and  acted  upon  by  dyspeptics,  dyspepsia 
will  soon  be  no  more. 

After  breakfast,  the  doctor  having  patients  to  see  and 
letters  to  write,  the  ladies  with  Mr.  Templeton  as  their  escort, 
took  a  walk  in  the  direction  of  Central  Park.  They  started 
up  Fifth  Avenue,  talking  pleasantly  all  the  way,  till  they 
found  themselves  within  the  park  enclosure,  ready  to  appre- 
ciate the  shade  of  the  lofty  trees  after  their  long  walk. 
Mr.  Templeton  said  to  Mrs.  Finchley:  "  Your  nephew  and  I 
have  been  freely  discussing  you  this  morning.  He  tells  me 
you  have  been  a  clairvoyant  from  childhood,  but  never 
attempt  to  use  your  gift  except  when  some  inspiration  comes 
to  you  unbidden.  I  only  want  to  say  that  if  ever  you  feel 
like  giving  me  a  message  I  shall  be  truly  grateful,  as  since 
last  evening  my  mind  has  undergone  considerable  change 
toward  all  such  matters.  I  never  scoffed,  but  I  doubted  and 
feared  until  last  night;  the  impression  left  upon  me  by  that 
astounding  revelation,  has  killed  my  prejudice,  considerably 
allayed  my  fears,  and  made  me  intensely  desirous  of  studying 
for  myself  the  mysteries  of  the  borderland  which  I  begin  to 
feel  are  not  so  mysterious  to  some  of  you  as  they  have  always 
appeared  to  me." 

While  he  was  yet  speaking,  a  sudden  flash  of  light 
seemed  to  flit  over  Mrs.  Finchley's  fine,  intellectual  forehead, 
and  answering  him  almost  before  his  voice  had  died  away, 
she  said,  "  Chosen  of  heaven,  thou  hast  a  mission  of  love  to 
fulfill.  The  world  is  thy  church,  and  thy  congregation  shall 
know  the  truth  through  thee  as  they  have  never  heard  it 
before ;  six  weeks  shall  prove  enough  to  open  thine  inward 


23  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

eyes,  and  at  the  end  of  thy  vacation  here  thou  shalt  return  to 
the  scene  of  thy  former  labors  to  break  fresh  bread  and 
present  new  wine  to  thy  flock;  changes  are  before  thee ; 
these  in  due  course  shall  be  explained.  Rest!  REST  !  REST  ! 
Let  not  thy  mind  be  anxious,  nor  thy  heart  grow  sad ;  there 
is  for  thee  reserved  a  noble  chair  in  the  prophetic  college  to 
which  thy  willing  steps  shall  soon  be  led.  Trust !  TRUST  ! 
TEUST !  All  will  be  well.  Daily  thy  bread  shall  come  and 
to-morrow's  work  cannot  be  portrayed  to-dn  " 

Words  are  dead,  lifeless  things  on  paper  oftentimes,  but 
when  from  the  lips  of  an  inspired  speaker  accents  fall  glow- 
ingly with  living  power,  the  human  voice  seems  indeed  a 
telephone  transmitting  to  earthly  ears  sounds  begotten  in  a 
higher  world.  So  felt  Mr.  Templeton  when  Mrs.  Finchley 
ceased  speaking,  and  the  sudden  accession  of  brightness  left 
her  brow,  and  all  relapsed  into  sweet  meditative  silence  in 
which  more  of  truth  perhaps  is  often  realized  by  receptive 
minds,  than  the  most  impassioned  eloquence  can  express. 
Slowly  and  peacefully  wending  their  way  back  to  the  park 
gates  and  through  them  to  the  nearest  station  of  the  elevated 
road,  the  party  wended  their  course  back  to  Sycamore  avenue 
vfhere  a  light  collation  awaited  them  at  1:30. 

By  three  o'clock  they  were  all  in  their  seats  at  Poodleton 
Hall,  awaiting  the  appearance  of  Mrs.  Felina  Oatsleigh. 
About  seventy-five  people  were  present,  fifty  at  least  of  them 
middle-aged  ladies  of  thoughtful  mien  and  soberly  attired. 
A  few  gentlemen  were  scattered  among  the  audience,  mostly 
literary  and  professional  men;  two  or  three  young  medical 
students  gave  variety  to  the  scene,  as  they  were  evidently 
present  to  take  notes  and  air  their  own  superior  knowledge 
when  the  question  hour  gave  them  an  opportunity. 

Mons.  Alphonse  flashily  dressed,  sporting  some  very 
large  diamonds  and  generally  to  all  appearance  intent  on 
impressing  everybody  with  his  importance,  bustled  hither 
and  thither,  talking  loudly  as  he  showed  people  to  vacant 
chairs,  adjusted  the  light  and  made  himself  useful  in  twenty 


ONESIMUS    TEMP  L  ETON  23 

ways  at  once.  At  five  minutes  past  three  the  curtain  rose 
(the  hall  was  often  used  for  theatrical  purposes),  and  seated 
on  the  stage  in  a  reposeful  attitude,  her  bare  arm  leaning  on  a 
table  decorated  with  a  few  books  and  papers,  a  choice  bouquet 
of  roses  in  a  very  handsome  porcelain  vase,  a  lace  handker- 
chief and  a  large  white  feather  fan,  appeared  the  heroine  of 
the  hour,  clad  in  blue  silk  trimmed  with  white  lace,  her 
raven  hair  and  finely  shaped  hands  glittering  with  rubies. 
Slowly  rising  from  her  peaceful  attitude,  bowing  and  smiling 
to  her  audience,  Mrs.  Catsleigh  advanced  to  the  front  of  the 
platform  holding  a  dainty  manuscript  in  her  hands  : 

"  My  very  dear  friends,"  she  began  in  well  modulated 
accents,  "  we  are  here  to  investigate  and  if  possible  to  solve 
the  problem  of  life  immortal.  Man  is  a  thought  of  Deity,  we 
are  not  the  clay  of  which  our  bodies  are  formed;  we  are 
living,  spiritual,  eternal  entities.  God  is  good,  and  so  are 
we.  Sweet  friends,  can  we  ever  reach  the  sad,  the  suffering, 
the  toil-worn  masses  of  mankind,  until  we  realize  the  unity 
of  life  and  allow  human  brotherhood  to  mean  for  us  infinitely 
more  than  a  stock  expression.  We  must  know  ourselves  to 
know  our  neighbors,  and  when  I  think  of  the  beautiful  gracious- 
ness  which  is  ever  indicative  of  a  true  reformer,  I  venture  to 
say  if  man  is  liberated  at  all  from  the  bonds  of  error  which 
now  oppress  the  race,  it  will  only  be  through  the  blessed 
matchless  instrumentality  of  divine  human  love." 

A  murmur  of  applause  ran  through  the  room.  Dr.  Max- 
well and  Mrs.  Finchley  smiled  and  exchanged  approving 
glances.  Mr.  Templeton  looked  both  surprised  and  delighted. 
Many  of  the  "blue  stockings  "  clapped,  and  one  or  two  elderly 
gentlemen  tapped  the  floor  with  their  walking-sticks,  and 
said,  "  Hear,  hear  !" 

Proceeding  for  exactly  an  hour  in  a  similar  strain,  Mrs. 
Catsleigh  defined  the  distinction  between  spiritual,  mental 
and  medical  therapeutics,  and  ended  by  inviting  questions 
from  the  audience.  As  the  audience  was  a  very  inquiring  as 
well  as  intellectual  one,  many  persons  availed  themselves  of 


24  ONESIMU8    TEMPLETON 

her  offer  which  was  most  cordially  extended  to  all  present. 

"  We  left  our  friends  alone  in  the  ground  when  we  were 
materialists,"  exclaimed  an  elderly  gentleman  in  the  rear  of 
the  hall,  "  but  now,  since  the  light  of  immortality  has  been 
revealed  to  us,  we  know  they  can  never  die ;  at  least,  I  speak 
for  myself  and  many  friends  of  mine.  Do  I  understand  you 
to  say,  Madam,  that  mediumship  is  a  mortal  delusion,  and 
that  the  departed  never  communicate  with  earth  ?" 

Mrs.  Catsleigh  immediately  answered  as  follows:  "My 
dear  sir,  I  do  not  think  you  have  quite  understood  the  drift 
of  my  discourse  ;  or,  perhaps  you  have  attributed  to  me  the 
opinions  of  some  one  else.  I  am  no  one's  echo,  I  have  studied 
with  three  or  four  of  the  most  widely  known  Christian  and 
Mental  Scientists,  and  I  have  dipped  somewhat  into  Theoso- 
phy.  I  am  myself  an  independent  thinker,  and  though  I 
quote  from  others,  and  often  refer  to  something  I  have  read, 
I  never  dogmatize  on  what  I  do  not  understand ;  and  for  the 
life  of  me  I  cannot  see  how  any  intelligent  advocate  of  meta- 
physical healing  is  going  to  successfully  refute  the  philosophy 
of  Spiritualism.  As  to  the  phenomena,  that  is  another 
matter,  and  I  don't  care  to  discuss  it  with  my  class  because 
I  want  to  keep  to  my  subject  on  the  twelve  afternoons  we  are 
to  spend  here,  and  that  is  '  How  to  get  well  when  you  are  ill,' 
and  what  is  more  important  yet,  How  to  keep  well  when  you 
are  not  ill.1  " 

Herewith  one  of  the  medical  students  arose  and  put  the 
following  essay-question  to  the  fair  lecturer :  "  We  know 
disease  is  in  the  air,  it  is  a  living  creature,  we  can  see  it 
through  the  microscope.  Now,  how  is  your  thought  or  mine 
or  anybody's  going  to  keep  parasites  out  of  the  blood  or  eject 
them  after  they  have  once  entered?  I  grant  you  nervous 
fancies  can  be  dispelled  by  mental  methods,  but  we  all  know 
that,  and  in  our  college  studies  we  learn  to  practice  mentally 
whenever  mental  cure  is  practicable.  The  regular  school  to 
which  I  belong  is  the  only  truly  eclectic  school  in  the  world  ; 
it  is  neither  alopathic  or  homoeopathic,  all  'pathies  are 


ONESIMU8    TEMPLETON  25 

irregular,  and  all  'pathists  are  therefore  quacks.  Now  how 
are  you  going  to  improve  on  our  methods  or  teach  us  anything 
we  do  not  already  know  ?  You  are  simply  taking  a  fraction 
out  of  our  perfect  system  and  holding  that  up  as  the  whole." 

Having  delivered  himself  of  this  grandiloquent  effusion, 
Mr.  Horatio  Bonen  resumed  his  seat  with  an  air  which  caused 
his  companion,  who  evidently  thought  him  a  lion,  to  whisper 
not  by  any  means  inaudibly  (whispers  are  rarely  unheard  at 
a  distance),  "She  is  squelched  this  time." 

"Is  that  a  question  or  an  essay*"  began  Mrs.  Catsleigh 
in  reply.  "  If  we  have  many  of  equal  length  our  exercises 
will  certainly  not  have  the  fault  of  undue  brevity,  but 
comments  aside,  I  will  answer  you.  My  experience  with 
medical  men  has  taught  me  two  things.  First,  very  few 
doctors  even  attempt  to  teach  the  science  of  health  to  their 
patients,  probably  because  a  fashionable  clientele  could  rarely 
be  maintained  if  truth  were  very  plainly  spoken  to  aristocratic 
invalids;  second,  doctors  do  not  always  know  quite  as  much 
as  they  think  they  do,  and  sometimes,  what  with  mistakes  in 
diagnosing,  prescribing,  and  ultimately  in  the  compounding 
of  prescriptions,  a  large  unnecessary  mortality  takes  place. 
If  I  am  feeling  unwell  and  take  a  dose  of  medicine,  I  learn 
nothing,  I  do  not  know  what  occasioned  my  illness,  I  do  not 
know  what  I  have  been  taking  to  remove  it ;  for,  I  am  not  a 
Latin  scholar,  nor  have  I  served  as  an  apothecary  ;  I  do  not 
know  how  the  evil  is  overcome,  nor  how  to  ward  off  similar 
attacks  in  future.  I  personally  am  not  a  physician  but  a 
teacher,  and  doctor  correctly  translated  means  teacher  and 
nothing  else.  New  granting  your  regular  practice  is  all  you 
claim  it  to  be,  it  may  cure  me  at  a  certain  time  of  a  pain  or 
local  ailment,  but  it  does  not  instruct  me  in  the  science  of 
life.  I  was  an  invalid  four  years,  often  had  to  be  helped  off 
the  stage,  and  then  took  to  my  bed  for  weeks  at  a  time,  but 
I  never  knew  what  ailed  me  until  I  was  introduced  to  Mrs. 
Amy  Pushing,  whom  no  doubt  some  of  you  know  well.  After 
six  weeks  treatment  from  her  I  was  well,  and  now  I  can  defy 


26  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

the  elements  and  eat  everything  I  please.  Six  weeks  with 
Mrs.  Pushing  did  for  me  what  four  years  painful  experience 
with,  I  cannot  tell  how  many  eminent  physicians,  never  began 
to  accomplish." 

Applause  ran  through  the  audience  at  this  testimony. 
Some  of  Mrs.  Pushing's  friends,  of  whom  there  were  several 
present,  became  quite  excited  and  cheered  lustily,  when  the 
discussion  began  to  take  a  new  turn.  Rising  slowly,  at  the 
back  of  the  hall,  and  speaking  in  quiet  but  ringing  accents, 
Dr.  Enamel  Plategold,  President  of  the  Crowningf alse  Dental 
University,  a  great  authority  on  occult  matters  as  well  as  on 
dentistry,  said :  "  Do  you  know  that  you  arc  doing  very 
wrong  in  seeking  to  interfere  with  the  operation  of  inexorable 
Karmi'3  justice ;  to  seek  to  hinder  the  working  out  of  any- 
body's Karma  is  a  fatal  error  fraught  with  disastrous 
consequences  to  all  parties  implicated  ?  " 

Mrs.  Catsleigh  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  for,  literally 
springing  to  the  edge  of  the  platform,  her  countenance 
suffused  with  animation,  her  eyes  glittering  like  gems,  she 
replied  in  positive  and  thrilling  tones:  "Does  my  would-be 
opponent  not  clearly  see  that  his  absurd  misapplication  of 
the  law  of  restitution  or  compensation,  rules  out  his  practice 
and  that  of  all  dentists,  surgeons  and  physicians,  fully  SIB 
much  as  mine  or  that  of  any  Mental  Scientist ;  if  every  pain 
we  suffer  is  a  result  of  Karma  and  we  must  suffer  to  the  bitter 
end  ?  Why  extract  a  decayed  tooth  which  gives  pain  to  its 
possessor  ?  Why  apply  ether,  nitrous-oxide  gas,  or  any  other 
anaesthetic  to  deaden  sensation  during  the  extraction  ?  Why 
permit  the  surgeon's  knife,  or  the  physician's  or  nurse's  pill, 
powder,  lotion  or  plaster  to  relieve  bodily  distress?  And 
(warming  to  the  subject  as  she  made  a  yet  stronger  point, 
and  gave  a  more  effectual  reply  to  her  interlocutor),  why  not 
put  down  education,  for  instruction  such  as  I  give  is  mental 
unfoldment.  I  teach  you  Karmaites  how  to  become  capable 
of  making  good  Karma  wherewith  to  replace  evil,  to  use  your 
own  favorite  Sanskrit  word,  which  the  majority  ol  English- 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  27 

speaking  people  apprehend  but  dimly.  If  past  existences 
have  yielded  to  us  the  fruits  of  suffering,  so  long  as  we  remain 
ignorant  of  truth,  so  long  shall  we  suffer;  whereas,  the 
moment  new  light  breaks  in  upon  our  hitherto  darkened 
minds,  we  shall  learn  how  not  to  evade  but  conquer  Karma." 
This  answer  was  very  warmly  received  by  nearly  every  one 
present,  though  it  appeared  to  have  little  or  no  effect  upon 
Dr.  Plategold  who  was  evidently  sincere,  but  so  utterly 
wedded  to  the  curious  theories  of  a  certain  cult  which  seems 
to  see  no  good  outside  of  Hinduism,  that  he  could  not 
understand  how  Mrs.  Catsleigh's  answer  met  the  case.  Like 
many  others,  he  persuaded  himself  that  she  was  a  gifted 
sophist,  and  though  he  could  not  repudiate  her  conclusion, 
there  and  then  in  adequate  phrases,  he  fully  expected  to  be 
able  to  shiver  it  to  atoms  before  the  next  lesson.  The  tide 
now  began  to  turn  in  a  distinctly  theological  direction.  The 
speaker  in  her  remarks  had  spoken  of  the  divine  indwelling 
light  in  the  soul  of  man,  this  she  had  styled  man's  veritable 
savior.  Mr.  Templeton  was  naturally  anxious  to  know  how 
a  woman  of  her  views  would  deal  with  the  orthodox  plan  of 
salvation ;  and  therefore  in  no  carping  spirit,  but  eagerly 
seeking  information,  the  Baptist  minister  addressed  her  in 
effect  as  follows : 

"  You  have  told  us  that  we  have  within  us  the  means  of 
salvation  from  sin,  sickness  and  death,  you  have  spoken 
glibly  of  the  essential  Christ  which  seems  to  me  the  platouic 
but  not  the  Christian  logos,  and  though  you  have  freely 
quoted  from  the  Gospels  and  said  nothing  whatever  against 
any  portion  of  the  sacred  Scriptures,  I  fail  to  see  how  you 
Bxplain  redemption  satisfactorily  without  a  personal  redeemer, 
who  was  as  truly  a  historic  person  as  Julius  Caesar." 

"  Well,  I  confess  I  don't  know  everything,  and  I  am  not 
seeking  to  overturn  anybody's  religious  convictions  unless 
they  can  be  proved  detrimental  to  human  welfare.  I  cannot 
accept  the  orthodox  interpretation  of  vicarious  atonement ;  it 
has  always  struck  me  as  dreadfully  unjust,  and  are  not  your 


28  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

ablest  ministers  and  bishops  to-day  putting  quite  new 
interpretations  upon  old  creeds  and  catechisms?  Now  as  I 
understand  the  matter,  God  is  never  angry,  we  fancy  He  is 
when  we  rebel  against  the  light  within,  then  when  we  adjust 
ourselves  harmoniously  to  the  universe  by  means  of  a  correct 
understanding  of  truth  and  the  practice  of  what  we  know,  we 
discover  that  our  ideas  of  God's  anger  have  arisen  entirely 
from  our  own  fears  and  mental  darkness.  Of  course,  I  cannot 
cover  the  whole  field  of  theology  in  an  answer  to  a  question, 
but  I  think  I  have  given  you  the  key  so  that  you  may  unlock 
the  subject  at  your  leisure  on  the  line  I  have  indicated." 

"  Are  you  never  ill  ?"  broke  in  a  harsh,  rasping  voice 
from  the  centre  of  the  room,  and  all  eyes  instinctively  turned 
in  the  direction  of  a  sallow,  spectacled  cynic,  a  critic  employed 
by  the  Weekly  Venomspleen,  a  paper  devoted  to  scurrilous 
attacks  on  personal  reputations  in  the  pretended  interest  of 
immaculate  morality. 

"Are  you  ever  well?"  queried  Mrs.  Catsleigh  of  her 
sickly-looking  questioner ;  "  the  way  to  be  well  is  to  think  no 
evil,  speak  no  evil,  talk  no  evil,  and  WRITE  no  evil  of  any- 
body or  anything.  We  are  none  of  us  perfect ;  I  know  I  am 
still  very  imperfect,  therefore  I  do  not  enjoy  entire  immunity 
from  distress,  but  contrasting  my  mental  and  physical  con- 
dition to-day  with  what  it  was  a  year  ago,  I  may  say  truly,  I 
am  well.  I  was  never  so  well  before,  never  so  capable  of 
sustaining  exertion  without  fatigue,  never  so  happy  and 
light-hearted  as  at  the  present  moment ;  and  while  I  thank 
God  for  everything,  I  owe  my  recovery,  humanly  speaking,  to 
my  dear  friend  and  teacher,  Mrs.  Pushing,  whom  I  hope  you 
will  all  meet  and  learn  to  know  and  love  as  I  do." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  God  ?  I  don't  know  of  any  God * 
Nature's  enough  for  me,"  queried  Mr.  Henry  Jackdaw,  a 
man  of  considerable  ability,  but  weighted  down  with  an 
intolerable  burden  of  egotism  ;  sub- editor  of  the  Buried  Age, 
and  vice-President  of  the  "  International  Society  for  De-con- 
stitutionalizing  Religion. " 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  29 

"What  is  Nature?"  asked  Mrs.  Catsleigh.  "Nature 
means  that  which  is  born  as  well  as  that  which  gives  birth. 
When  I  use  the  word  God,  I  do  not  try  to  fix  in  my  mind  the 
idea  of  a  big  man,  I  mean  to  imply  simply  that  all  is  GOOD, 
and  as  good  cannot  be  conceived  of  in  its  highest  sense  apart 
from  consciousness,  I  agree  with  Bulwer  (Lord  Lytton)  in 
believing  that  the  Coming  Race  will  style  the  Infinite  all- 
pervasive  Mind  which  rules  the  universe,  the  All-Good.  God 
means  the  Good  One,  and  I  affirm  that  without  a  focal  point 
at  which  to  rivet  thought,  philosophy  is  chaos  and  we  are  all 
simply  arguing  in  a  circle  or  a  maze.  *  All  is  Good,  there  is 
no  Evil,'  will  be  the  subject  of  my  next  lesson,  then  I  shall 
hope  to  discuss  the  subject  with  you  far  more  fully ;  it  is 
already  5:30,  and  from  two  to  three  hours  is  quite  long  enough 
for  any  single  session,  even  though  the  questions  are  diversi- 
fied and  represent  many  phases  of  thought.  I  do  not  wish  to 
be  regarded  as  a  dogmatist,  I  do  not  ask  any  one  to  accept 
my  conclusions;  consideration  is  all  I  ask  for  my  feeble 
words.  Not  through  oratory,  but  by  an  appeal  to  the  intelli- 
gence and  heart  of  all  before  me,  shall  I  ever  seek  to  explain 
as  far  as  my  limited  knowledge  will  permit,  the  truth  of 
man's  real  being.  I  thank  you  more  than  I  can  express  for 
your  kind  and  gracious  attention  here  to-day ;  you  have,  many 
of  you,  supported  me  more  than  I  can  make  you  understand 
in  my  somewhat  arduous  task  of  opening  classes  in  mid- 
summer in  a  new  place  before  an  unknown  audience.  Those 
who  come  to  learn  will,  I  hope,  be  edified  by  an  interchange 
of  thought ;  those  who  know  everything  can  of  course  learn 
nothing  more,  and  I  rather  wonder  they  waste  their  precious 
time  in  this  assembly.  I  invite  you  all  to  my  reception  on 
Friday  evening  at  the  Quicksilver  Hotel ;  you  all  know  where 
it  is,  corner  of  Lemon  Avenue  and  Orange  Street.  Come  as 
soon  as  you  can,  not  later  than  8  o'clock,  and  stay  as  long  as 
you  are  disposed  to  talk ;  we'll  try  and  have  a  social  time 
together.  I  always  like  to  become  personally  acquainted 
with  my  students,  but  I  ^cannot  call  upon  them  all,  they  are 


30  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

too  numerous,  and  live  too  far  apart,  and  I  nra  far  too  busy. 
My  agent,  Mons.  Alphonse  de  Kabriet,  who  awaits  you  at  the 
door,  will  furnish  you  with  all  information  you  may  require. 
Again  thanking  you,  au  revoir  till  Thursday  at  3  o'clock 
prompt." 

The  curtain  fell  noiselessly  as  it  had  risen,  and  Mrs. 
Felina  Catsleigh  disappeared,  bowing  and  smiling  behind  its 
advancing  folds. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  her?"  was  Dr.  Maxwell's 
exclamation  as  soon  as  he  and  his  friends  were  on  the  street ; 
"  she  astonishes  me,  I  cannot  comprehend  how  such  a  woman 
as  she  appears  to  be  can  give  such  amazingly  profound 
spiritual  instruction.  I  would  not  have  you  imagine  for  a 
moment  that  I  think  her  an  objectionable  woman,  but  she 
appears  very  worldly.  Look  at  her  general  get-up;  we  know 
she  has  been  an  actress,  but  I  think  stage  dresses  and  effects 
a  little  out  of  place  at  a  Metaphysical  matinee." 

"  I  more  than  agree  with  you,"  responded  Mr.  Templeton. 
"  I  confess  I  was  almost  shocked  at  first,  she  was,  in  my 
opinion,  most  unbecomingly  attired,  and  then  her  affected 
mannerisms  were  completely  out  of  keeping  with  the  time, 
place,  and  circumstances ;  but  of  course  you  noticed  how 
quickly  the  most  conspicuous  of  them  left  her  when  she  was 
without  her  notes  and  warmed  up  to  her  subject ;  you  I  know 
are  something  of  a  Spiritualist  and  your  aunt  is  avowedly  a 
medium  of  a  very  exceptional  order;  do  you  think  she  is 
under  any  '  influence  '  while  speaking,  or  do  you  agree  with 
Hartman  in  his  work  on  '  Magic/  in  which  he  attributes  an 
orator's  supposed  inspiration  to  the  mental  conditions  of  the 
audience  and  quite  ridicules  the  agency  of  '  spirits '  in  the 
matter  ?  you  see  I've  been  looking  at  some  of  the  books  on 
your  table." 

"  My  dear  friend,  I  am  very  glad  to  know  you  are  reading 
in  this  line ;  the  book  to  which  you  refer  gives  much  salutary 
advice,  and  were  I  to  eliminate  its  objectionable  portions  I 
would  gladly  put  it  into  the  hands  of  all  enquirers,  but  as  it 


ONESIMUS    TENPLETON  31 

stands,  I  must  take  decided  exception  to  such  statements  as 
the  one  you  have  specially  referred  to.  Most  specialists  read 
but  one  side  and  look  at  matters  from  one  point  of  view  only. 
I  find  this  a  great  drawback  to  the  merit  and  reliability  of 
their  teachings.  Professor  Huxley,  for  instance,  whose  Lay 
Sermons  embody  much  of  the  deepest  wisdom  I  have  come 
across  in  modern  literature,  allows  prejudice  to  completely 
warp  his  judgment  when  he  treats  on  Spiritualism.  The 
Seybert  Commissioners  of  Philadelphia  made  a  perfect  wreck 
of  their  investigations  from  the  same  cause ;  it  is  not  logical 
to  declaim  against  prejudice  in  the  strongest  terms,  and  then 
manifest  it  immediately  afterwards  ;  but  this  is  exactly  what 
many  educated  persons  are  continually  doing  whose  incon- 
sistency is  evidently  not  apparent  to  themselves.  I  cannot 
see  how  an  unbiased  man  can  attribute  to  the  mental  efflux 
of  an  audience,  ideas  and  sentiments  entirely  foreign  to  the 
opinions  of  that  audience  in  all  respects ;  to  go  no  further 
than  my  own  family,  my  aunt  Mrs.  Finchley,  has  frequently 
persisted  in  giving  communications  to  her  friends  utterly  at 
variance  with  their  opinions  and  entirely  beyond  the  scope  of 
her  own  experience,  while  that  queen  of  platform  orators, 
Mrs.  Britten,  who  was  for  many  years  my  aunt's  particular 
friend,  has  been  known  repeatedly  to  go  before  large  and 
bigoted  companies  of  people,  and  pour  forth  burning  tides  of 
eloquence  in  direct  opposition  to  their  darling  theories,  to  the 
astonishment  of  all  who  heard  her.  I  never  accept  anything 
without  proof,  but  to  dismiss  a  great  subject  with  satirical 
flippancy  and  attempt  to  explain  it  away  by  means  of  a  state- 
ment utterly  at  variance  with  an  enormous  mass  of  thoroughly 
authentic  fact,  is  to  impose  on  popular  credulity  and  betray 
one's  own  weakness.  I  repeat  what  I  have  said  many  times, 
the  simple  philosophy  of  Spiritualism  unadulterated  with 
cant  and  untarnished  with  absurd  pretensions,  is  to  me  the 
only  philosophy  which  does  or  can  solve  the  problem  of  life 
here  and  hereafter.  I  believe  the  action  of  mind  upon  mind 
to  be  in  many  cases  utterly  independent  of  the  corporeal 


32  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

organism  which  mind  uses  as  a  workman  employs  a  tool,  or  a 
musician  an  ingeniously  constructed  instrument.  When 
Sunday  evening  conies  and  we  hold  our  promised  circle,  I 
shall  hope  to  initiate  you  much  further  into  the  truth  as  we 
perceive  it  on  all  those  subjects ;  now  it  is  time  for  dinner, 
and  as  we  have  had  a  good  deal  of  mental  food  to-day  which 
we  can  digest  at  our  leisure,  I  propose  that  after  a  light  but 
satisfying  repast,  we  run  over  to  Coney  Island  and  see  the 
fireworks ;  we  can  get  there  by  8:30  and  be  home  again  at 
midnight." 

"I  for  one,  shall  be  delighted,"  responded  Mr.  Templeton, 
with  alacrity,  and  the  rest  of  the  party  chiming  in,  they 
quickened  their  pace  homeward,  then  speedily  adjusted  their 
toilets  and  after  a  delicious  but  exceedingly  simple  dinner 
found  themselves  crossing  the  water  under  the  light  of  the 
silvery  moon  which  was  then  at  its  full  and  just  rising,  in 
ample  time  to  reach  the  island  for  a  display  of  pyrotechnic 
skill,  which  to  those  who,  like  Mr.  Templeton,  had  lived  all 
his  days  in  quiet  seclusion  from  popular  gayeties,  must 
appear  as  a  feat  almost  beyond  man's  unaided  power  to 
accomplish. 


CHAPTER  m. 


SPIIUT    AND    LETTER. 


I  seek  for  Truth  where'er  'tis  found, 
On  Christian  or  on  Pagan  ground  ; 
The  Truth  alone  can  set  us  free 
And  lead  us,  Oh,  our  God  to  thee." 


THOSE  of  our  readers  who  have  ever  visited  Coney  Island 
in  summer,  know  how  supremely  beautiful  is  the  whole 
enchanting  scene.  The  rolling  of  old  ocean,  the  superb 
strains  of  the  incomparable  band,  the  brilliant  electric  illu- 
mination of  the  island,  the  gorgeousness  of  the  palatial  hotels, 
and  to  cap  the  climax  the  unequaled  pyrotechnic  display  in 
the  late  evening,  contribute  to  render  the  scene  a  veritable 
realization  of  childhood's  dreams  of  fairyland.  Suddenly 
transported  from  scenes  of  sober  thought  and  strenuous 
argument  to  this  gay  haunt  of  what  should  be  pure  and 
innocent  enjoyment,  the  minister  from  Vermont  was  affected 
more  strangely  than  he  had  ever  been  in  his  life  before.  On 
the  way  home  he  was  quiet  to  taciturnity,  and  seeing  that  his 
mood  was  reflective  instead  of  talkative,  Dr.  Maxwell,  Mrs. 
Finchley,  and  the  three  O'Shannon's  fell  to  talking  briskly 
among  themselves  about  the  prospects  of  the  world  in  the 
20th  century,  if  the  present  pace  of  improvement  in  mechanical 
skill  should  become  accelerated  during  the  next  few  years. 

Mr.  Templeton,  in  his  semi-recumbent  posture  on  the 
steamer  deck,  apparently  dozing  in  an  obscure  corner,  though 
he  had  no  wish  to  talk,  listened  with  breathless  wonder  to 
some  of  his  host's  astounding  statements  concerning  man's 
power  over  the  elements.  The  fireworks  had  led  Mrs. 


34  ONESIMUS    TEHPLETON 

O 'Shannon  to  question  Mrs.  Finchley  as  to  the  possibility  of 
bringing  rain  from  tho  clouds  in  periods  of  dearth,  by  means  of 
pyrotechnic  display ;  "  for,"  said  she,  "  I  have  always  observed, 
when  fireworks  have  been  let  off  in  great  quantities,  showers 
have  fallen  Boon  after.'*  This  remark  was  called  out  by  a 
slight  sprinkling  of  rain  which  led  the  party  to  seek  a  more 
sheltered  corner  on  the  boat. 

Dr.  Maxwell,  after  listening  to  his  aunt's  brief  reply  to 
her  friend's  question,  volunteered  some  amazing  information 
he  had  collected  when  in  France,  from  members  of  the 
Academy,  to  the  effect  that  rain  can  be  produced  at  will  by 
human  ingenuity;  for  provided  Governments  are  willing  to 
make  sufficiently  large  appropriations,  scientists  now  living 
are  quite  ready  to  construct  and  set  in  motion  electrical  rain- 
producing  apparatus,  as  they  are  also  prepared  to  perfect 
long  talked  of  schemes  of  aerial  navigation.  Bulwer's  wings 
on  his  Vril-Ya  in  the  "  Coming  Kace,"  are  simple  and  quite 
practical  mechanical  contrivances ;  but  until  a  new  industrial 
system  is  in  vogue,  these  great  inventions  cannot  be  fairly 
tested  for  lack  of  means,  as  the  wealth  of  no  individual  is  apt 
to  be  available  for  such  purposes,  whose  first  cost  would  be 
necessarily  enormous.  However,  when  co-operation  shall 
become  universal,  science  will  not  be  fettered  as  it  now  is  for 
lack  of  means,  and  in  the  next  century  education  will  doubtless 
have  made  such  rapid  strides  that  the  incredulity  now  so 
prevalent  whenever  such  subjects  are  broached  will  have 
almost  entirely  disappeared.  In  the  natural  evolution  of 
events,  unless  some  remarkable  backward  current  sets  iu,  it 
cannot  be  another  half  century  before  many  of  the  most 
Utopian  expectations  of  the  world's  savans  will  be  fully 
realized, — first  in  America  and  then  in  Europe.  America  will 
doubtless  take  precedence  even  when  European  scientist B  are 
the  projectors  of  the  schemes,  not  because  of  the  superior 
intelligence  of  the  American  nation,  so  much  as  on  account  of 
the  readiness  of  a  newer  country  to  try  measures  which  the 
conservatism  of  the  old  world  would  wish  to  see  fully  per- 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  35 

fected  •Isewhere  before  favoring  their  introduction  into 
European  countries.  Talking  in  this  strain  with  considerable 
animation  till  the  boat  landed  at  the  Twenty-third  Street 
pier,  our  friends  regaled  themselves  with  encouraging  fore- 
gleams  of  happier  days  in  store,  days  we  must  not  only  hope 
and  pray  for,  but  WORK  for  with  all  our  might.  By  1  A.M. 
the  household  at  312  Sycamore  Avenue  was  again  rocked  in 
the  peaceful  arms  of  Morpheus,  and  it  was  late  on  the  follow- 
ing morning  before  any  one  awoke. 

During  the  night  Mr.  Templeton  had  a  singular  prophetic 
dream,  and  when  he  presented  himself  at  breakfast  just  as  the 
others  were  about  to  rise  from  the  table,  his  countenance 
wore  an  unusually  thoughtful  expression.  He  was  rather 
silent,  but  not  at  all  morose,  nor  did  he  seem  mentally  dis- 
turbed, only  intensely  anxious  to  learn  more  of  the  mysterious 
science  on  whose  threshold  he  felt  himself  palpably  standing. 
Dr.  Maxwell,  divining  his  unspoken  wish  for  a  private  con- 
fidential talk,  said  pleasantly:  "Come  into  the  library  about 
11;  I  shall  be  disengaged  for  an  hour  then;.  I  have  a  good 
deal  to  say  to  you.  Now  go,  all  of  you,  and  visit  the  alligator." 
The  parties  to  whom  the  alligator  had  been  mentioned  before 
(Lydia  O'Shannon  in  particular)  were  all  anxiety  to  see  the 
wonderful  creature  which  dwelt  in  Mrs.  Finchley's  private 
bath-room. 

The  house  was  one  of  those  comfortable  roomy  ones, 
built  when  land  was  cheap  and  people  had  no  idea  of  squeez- 
ing twenty  people  into  a  house  too  small  for  ten.  The  best 
bed-rooms  had  private  dressing-rooms  attached,  not  little 
closets,  but  good-sized  rooms,  much  larger  than  the  "  elegant 
hall  chambers"  so  often  let  to  single  persons  at  fabulous 
rents  all  over  the  city,  and  which  are  considered  large  if  they 
are  as  roomy  as  fair-sized  dog-kennels.  Mrs.  Finchley's  room 
was  over  the  drawing-room ;  Dr.  Maxwell's  was  a  flight  above. 
Either  of  those  rooms  would  have  comfortably  seated  one 
hundred  and  fifty  persons  had  the  furniture  been  displaced 
by  benches,  and  then  there  would  have  been  room  for  a  good 


36  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

sized  platform  at  one  end.  Leading  out  of  the  main  room 
was  a  dressing-room  more  like  a  conservatory  than  a  bath- 
room. Ferns  and  tropical  plants  were  growing  freely  there ; 
one  side  of  the  wall  was  entirely  of  glass  and  looked  directly 
out  upon  the  spacious  garden  which  extended  for  quite  a 
distance  in  the  rear  of  the  house.  In  a  bath-tub  reposed  a 
small  alligator  from  Florida,  who  awoke  with  a  gentle  start 
and  looked  up  with  quite  an  intelligent  expression  when  his 
mistress  called:  "Jefferson,  show  yourself  to  these  good 
people." 

"He  is  quite  tame  and  never  offers  to  snap,"  said  Mrs. 
Finchley,  as  slight  signs  of  alarm  began  to  be  depicted  on 
the  countenances  of  her  guests,  "  now,  get  up,  Jeffy,  and  fetch 
the  paper."  The  obedient  creature  slowly  climbed  over  the 
side  of  the  tank,  and  following  the  lady  like  a  lazy  dog,  slowly 
advanced  into  the  adjoining  room,  where  picking  up  the 
morning  Times,  handed  it  to  her  as  though  he  fully  under- 
stood his  business.  She  took  it  from  his  jaw  just  as  she 
would  have  done  from  the  mouth  of  a  favorite  dog ;  she  then 
fed  him  with  varieties  of  vegetation  upon  which  members  of 
his  species  thrive.  He  took  his  food  from  her  hand  with  all 
the  docility  of  a  well-trained  horse,  and  then  followed  her 
back  to  his  own  chamber,  where  he  peacefully  reclined  on  a 
bank  specially  constructed  for  his  accommodation  on  the  edge 
of  the  water.  "  Human  electricity,  that  is  all,"  smilingly 
explained  Mrs.  Finchley,  in  answer  to  numerous  inquiries 
from  those  who  had  witnessed  the  performance.  "Prof.de 
Montmarte  assured  me  the  words  of  the  Apostle  James  are 
literally  accurate  according  to  his  experience:  'Every  kind 
of  beasts  and  birds,  of  creeping  things  and  things  of  the  sea, 
is  tamed  by  mankind.'  (JAMES  iii.,  verse  7,  revised  version.) 
When  true  theosophy  breaks  through  the  encumbering  mass 
of  oriental  legend  and  superstition  which  now  envelops  it, 
and  when  theosophists  live  as  well  as  preach  what  Gautama 
taught ;  and  when  Christians  put  the  precepts  of  the  gospel 
into  practice,  it  will  not  be  long  before  another  Paul  may 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  37 

shake  a  viper  from  his  unharmed  hand,  and  man  in  the  image 
of  Deity  may  exercise  as  well  as  claim  divine  prerogatives 
and  show  himself  the  '  lord  of  nature  all.'  I  am  a  very  hum- 
ble and  untutored  disciple  of  truth,  but  poor  though  my 
attainments,  and  many  my  weaknesses,  I  have  learned  by 
curbing  my  own  rising  anger  and  other  base  emotions,  to 
subdue  in  some  measure  the  lower  animals  to  my  will ;  as  a 
child,  nothing  grieved  and  angered  me  more  than  to  see  a 
dumb  creature  ill-used.  I  used  to  collect  pennies  from  the 
children  in  my  class  when  I  taught  in  a  Sunday-school,  to 
send  to  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals, 
a  noble  society  of  which  my  nephew  is  a  distinguished  mem- 
ber. When  that  dastardly  villainy  known  as  vivisection 
dared  to  expose  its  viperish  head  clad  in  the  borrowed  plumes 
of  science  in  the  college  where  he  was  studying,  my  nephew 
(then  only  twenty- one)  refuted  the  ablest  professor  on  his  own 
ground  and  won  a  gold  medal  for  the  finest  essay  ever 
presented  on  the  subject.  We  will  rule  by  kindness  or  not  at 
all;  that  is  our  motto.  We  leave  cruelty  to  brutes  and 
savages,  and  in  them  we  seek  to  overcome  it. 

"  I  was  at  one  time  in  the  presence  of  Dr.  Anna  Kingsford 
in  London  ;  she  and  I  had  more  soul  communion  in  one  hour 
than  I  have  enjoyed  with  any  other  woman  in  a  lifetime.  I 
shall  never  forget  her.  Fragile  in  body,  but  beautiful  withal 
— beyond  the  ordinary  beauty  of  fair  women — strong  in 
intellect,  tender  in  heart,  noble  beyond  description  in  the 
purpose  of  her  life ;  this  gentle,  graceful  heroine  fought  and 
conquered  the  most  virulent  opposition  on  the  an ti- vivisection 
platform,  and  was  to  the  French  Academicians  a  star  beaming 
with  celestial  lustre.  Dear,  brave,  noble,  saintly  woman,  her 
memory  will  live  in  the  grateful  hearts  of  humanity  when  time 
shall  be  no  more." 

Visibly  affected  by  Mrs.  Finchley's  emotion,  her  guests 
repaired  slowly  to  their  various  enjoyments.  Mr.  Templeton 
had  a  long  chat  with  Dr.  Maxwell  in  the  library ;  and  the 
O'Shannons  took  books  and  fancy  work  into  the  garden.  At 


38  ONE8IMUS    TEMPLETON 

1:30  they  were  all  again  at  the  table  enjoying  a  well-cooked 
lunch  and  pleasurably  anticipating  the  Bible  class  which 
commenced  precisely  as  the  clock  struck  three.  Dr.  Maxwell 
and  all  the  inmates  of  his  household  filed  into  the  large 
drawing-room  which  every  Wednesday  afternoon  assumed  the 
appearance  of  a  singularly  attractive  lecture  room.  At  one 
end  on  a  small  movable  platform  stood  a  handsome  eagle 
lectern  containing  a  large  open  Bible,  near  by  stood  a  fine, 
sweet  toned  cabinet  organ,  and  in  its  vicinity,  a  number  of 
young  ladies  who  raised  their  tuneful  voices  to  the  accom- 
paniment of  the  music,  and  sang  very  melodiously  Samuel 
Longfellow's  beautiful  and  inspiring  hymn,  commencing : 

"  God  of  ages  and  of  nations, 

Every  race  and  every  clime, 
Hatli  received  tliine  inspirations 
Glimpses  of  thy  truth  sublime." 

During  the  singing  no  one  entered,  and  no  one  committed 
the  atrocious  vulgarity  of  whispering,  much  less  of  talking 
aloud.  "When  the  hymn  ceased,  Dr.  Maxwell  offered  a  short, 
fervent  aspiration,  one  could  hardly  call  it  a  prayer,  for  it  did 
not  at  all  resemble  the  ordinary  prayer  one  is  accustomed  to 
hear  at  religions  gatherings, in  which  the  Almighty  is  informed 
of  what  He  is  and  told  how  to  act  for  the  good  of  the  universe. 
An  act  of  trust  would  better  describe  this  helpful  utterance, 
which  harmonized  the  thoughts  of  all  present,  and  so  unified 
the  atmosphere  of  the  room,  that  a  stranger  entering  could 
not  fail  to  be  impressed  with  a  delightful  sense  of  one  accord. 
After  this  exercise,  a  young  lady  with  a  pure,  cultivated 
voice,  sang  "O,  Best  in  the  Lord."  During  the  solo  breath- 
less silence  pervaded  the  apartment ;  by  due  attention  to  these 
opening  exercises,  all  minds  were  attuned  for  the  instruction 
which  followed.  The  door  which  had  remained  closed  during 
tLe  fifteen  minutes  occupied  by  the  two  musical  selections 
and  the  aspiration,  was  then  opened  for  a  moment,  and  a  few 
late-comers  quietly  slipped  in  and  occupied  seats  at  the  reai 
end  of  the  room.  No  one  embraced  them  or  made  himself 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  39 

officious  by  turning  round  to  stare ;  and  noiselessly  as  he  had 
opened  it,  the  page  closed  it  again,  and  listened  as  attentively 
as  any  one  in  the  assembly  to  Dr.  Maxwell's  clear  and 
forcible  reading  of  the  44th  chapter  of  Genesis,  which  con- 
tains the  singular  story  of  the  placing  of  Joseph's  divining 
cup  in  the  sack  of  his  youngest  brother  Benjamin,  and  the 
consternation  occasioned  by  its  recovery  in  such  a  place. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  new-comers,  Dr.  Maxwell  reviewed 
briefly  the  events  of  the  preceding  chapters  which  had  formed 
the  basis  of  past  lessons,  and  then  went  on  to  explain  the 
divining  cup  and  its  use  among  the  ancients. 

"Cup-bearers,"  said  the  doctor,  "were  very  influential 
persons  at  oriental  courts ;  to  be  the  king's  cup-bearer  was  to 
hold  an  office  of  peculiar  dignity,  for  the  sovereign's  cup  was 
not  simply  a  vessel  out  of  which  he  drank,  but  one  by  means 
of  which  he  divined." 

Reading  an  extract  from  Theophilus  O'Hague's  "Mys- 
teries of  Egypt,"  he  proceeded  as  follows,  almost  in  the  words 
of  that  writer.  "  "Wine,  in  the  days  of  old,  as  drank  in 
palaces  by  men  of  renown,  and  in  temples  by  participants  in 
the  mysteries,  was  freshly  produced  just  before  it  was  par- 
taken of.  Rich,  ripe  clusters  of  the  choicest  grapes  were 
brought,  fresh  gathered  from  the  vines;  the  juice  of  these 
was  squeezed  into  a  golden  or  crystal  goblet ;  cups  of  gold 
denoted  the  civil  rank  of  those  who  drank  from  them ;  crys- 
tal vessels  were  for  the  use  of  seers  or  those  possessed  with 
the  faculty  usually  called  clairvoyance.  As  the  juice  of  the 
grape  in  the  crystal  cup  was  held  to  the  light  by  the  cup- 
bearer who  knelt  before  the  throne  on  which  the  distinguished 
sage  or  sovereign  sat,  the  great  master  would  often  see  and 
describe  events  taking  place  in  various  parts  of  the  kingdom, 
and  sometimes  in  distant  countries ;  by  means  of  such  dis- 
cernment many  impending  catastrophes  were  warded  off,  for 
this  fore-knowledge  did  indeed  enable  the  wise  men  to  make 
provision  against  being  surprised  by  enemies,  and  also  by 
this  means  did  they  prepare  themselves  to  meet  on-coming 


40  ONE8IMU8    TEMPLETON 

storms ;  foreseeing  the  approaching  agitation  of  the  elements, 
the  diviner  would  cause  knowledge  to  extend  through  the 
empire,  in  obedience  to  which,  military  preparations  would 
be  made  against  foreign  invasion;  vessels,  moreover,  would 
be  detained  in  port,  as  heavy  gales  and  angry  seas  were  fore- 
seen. 

"  So  pacific  in  result  was  this  most  hallowed  divination 
that  when  the  spies  from  neighboring  countries  came  to  see 
how  the  land  lay,  they  reported  the  well-armed  condition  of 
its  inhabitants,  and  through  these  tidings  many  premeditated 
wars  were  nipped  at  their  commencement.  The  crystal  cup 
of  divination  was,  moreover,  employed  in  courts  of  law,  or 
rather,  in  the  Supreme  Court,  where  a  great  and  mighty 
master  presided,  and  his  verdict  was  invariably  correct,  for  a 
most  excellent  spirit  of  wisdom  and  prophecy  doth  animate 
those  who  were  called  gods,  and  these  were  none  other  than 
the  enlightened  ones  or  illuminati  who  had  by  dint  of  much 
cultivation  of  the  soul  and  subjection  of  the  flesh,  rendered 
their  inward  vision  clear  so  that  the  secrets  of  nature  were 
revealed  to  them." 

"  To  place  the  divining  cup  in  the  sack  of  his  youngest 
brother,  was  Joseph's  method  of  testing  and  proving  to  the 
world  the  fitness  of  that  brother  to  associate  with  him  in  the 
work  of  government  and  direction  of  the  people." 

It  was  always  the  object  of  the  leader  of  the  class  to  call 
out  the  opinions  of  the  members ;  discussion  invariably  took 
a  practical  turn,  useless  controversies  being  always  avoided. 
"  For,"  said  Dr.  Maxwell,  on  such  occasions,  "  we  cannot 
always  decide  on  matters  of  genealogy  where  scholars  differ 
widely;  and  if  we  could  accurately  determine  the  precise 
time  and  place  of  every  event  of  which  we  read,  how  much 
the  wiser  should  we  be  ?  I  use  the  Bible  not  as  an  infallible 
text  book  to  be  accepted  as  absolutely  free  from  error  from 
beginning  to  end.  I  find  it,  however,  the  most  compendious 
and  instructive  as  well  as  by  far  the  most  easily  available 
collection  of  documents  extant,  in  which  we  may  find,  if  we 


ONESIMU3    TEMPLETON  41 

do  but  search  for  it,  the  jewel  of  eternal  truth ;  deeply  buried 
sometimes,  I  grant  you,  beneath  a  mass  of  legendary  lore,  but 
even  the  most  mystical  portions  contain  many  direct  allusions 
to  matters  of  vital  moment  to  us  all." 

Mr.  Templeton,  who  had  often  conducted  Bible  classes 
in  his  church  at  horns,  listened  with  ever-increasing  wonder 
to  the  wealth  of  meaning  Dr.  Maxwell  extracted  from  even 
the  harshest  and  obscurest  passages,  and  not  feeling  like 
asking  questions,  he  listened  quietly  and  attentively  to  every 
word,  whether  it  proceeded  from  a  student  or  the  teacher. 
What  struck  him  most  forcibly  was  the  unusual  intelligence 
and  freedom  of  thought  displayed  by  the  very  youngest  of 
the  girls,  who  in  clear,  decisive,  and  yet  modest  tones,  gave 
her  ideas  with  all  the  outspokenness  of  a  great  divine 
whose  position  is  so  well  assured  that  he  fears  no  opposition. 
Some  of  the  members  of  the  class  were  very  near  to  ortho- 
doxy; others  were  but  little  more  attached  to  dogmatic 
theology  than  was  Charles  Darwin ;  occasionally  an  admirer 
of  Ingersoll  would  seek  to  point  out  a  mistake  of  Moses,  and 
again,  an  ardent  disciple  of  Swedenborg  would  insist  upon 
leaving  the  letter  entirely  and  interpret  according  to  corre- 
spondence. What  charmed  him  most  was  the  absolute  good 
feeling  which  prevailed ;  not  an  acrimonious  exclamation  was 
made  ;  persons  of  the  most  divergent  theories  came  together 
and  compared  notes,  while  Dr.  Maxwell  firmly  but  good- 
naturedly  held  his  ground,  fortifying  his  statements,  not  so 
much  by  referring  to  "authorities,"  as  by  appealing  to  the 
reason  and  moral  feeling  of  all  whom  he  addressed. 

"Was  Joseph  justified  in  playing  a  trick  upon  his 
brethren  ?"  piped  the  clear  treble  of  Miss  Symphonia  Delsarte, 
a  young  teacher  in  a  Unitarian  Sunday-school,  delicately  clad 
in  snowy  muslin  with  violets  at  her  breast. 

"  Do  you  think  his  action  in  the  matter  could  fairly  be 
called  a  trick f '  responded  the  doctor.  "It  has  never  struck 
me  as  such.  •  Now,  I  call  people  tricky  when  they  set  traps 
for  others  to  fall  into,  and  take  delight  in  advancing  their 


42  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

own  interests  at  somebody  else's  expense.  Practical  jokes  are 
tricks ;  any  device  is  a  trick  which  is  used  as  an  artifice  to 
beguile  the  unwary.  But  I  see  in  Joseph's  conduct  only  a 
means  of  hurrying  his  brothers  to  a  sense  of  justice  and 
effecting  a  condition  of  order  otherwise  not  so  easy  of  attain- 
ment. Divine  justice  is  personified  in  the  conduct  of  Joseph, 
but  his  personal  conduct  to  an  extent  reflects  the  moral 
calibre  of  his  age  and  nation.  The  lesson  we  learn  is  that 
the  wrong-doers  suffer  for  their  own  best  good;  thus  the 
sequel  to  the  story  proves  that  the  writer's  intention  was  to 
demonstrate  the  unfailing  triumph  of  justice." 

"But,  my  dear  Dr.  Maxwell,**  broke  in  the  tremulous 
excited  voice  of  Mrs.  Gerald  Godfrey  Hooper,  a  distinguished 
member  of  Felix  Adler's  Society  for  Ethical  Culture,  "you 
cannot  maintain  in  the  face  of  what  we,  alas,  know  to  be  the 
case,  viz.:  that  iniquity  frequently  triumphs  while  a  just 
cause  is  often  defeated,  that  an  equitable  case  is  always 
carried  through.  My  own  poor,  dear,  dead  husband  lost  his 
life  fighting  a  wrong,  and  Dr.  Adler  gave  us  no  comfort  at  the 
funeral,  but  said  the  event  cut  him  like  a  knife.  Do  help  us, 
if  you  can,  out  of  this  perplexity ;  you  don't  know  how 
agonizingly  it  strains  many  of  us." 

To  this  sad  questioning,  the  doctor  quietly  responded : 
"  I  don't  know  that  I  can  satisfy  you,  but  I  will  say  just  what 
I  feel.  This  present  term  of  existence  ia  but  a  brief  episode 
in  eternity;  sometimes  events  prove  conclusively  on  earth 
that  virtue  is  its  own  reward,  while  vice  is  its  own  punishment; 
but  often,  I  grant  you,  it  seems  far  otherwise. 

"  Now,  I  know  what  you  would  say  just  here,  viz.:  that 
theologians  have  been  telling  us  for  centuries  that  we  must 
be  content  to  suffer  here,  and  await  reward  hereafter,  which 
many  of  you,  perhaps,  think  very  dubious  counsel.  I  do  not 
agree  with  either  Catholic  or  Protestant  views  of  the  here- 
after, as  ordinarily  presented.  I  cannot  believe  in  the 
efficacy  of  'indulgences/  or  in  people  being  delivered  from  a 
state  of  purgation  by  purchased  prayers ;  nor  can  I  sanction 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  43 

the  theory  of  the  so-called  evangelical,  who  tells  me,  if  I  take 
his  view  of  the  atonement,  and  put  my  trust  in  the  Son  of 
God,  I  shall  be  at  once  in  glory  after  I  have  laid  aside  this 
body.  No,  nor  can  I  endorse  what  I  consider  the  errors  of 
some  of  our  theosophical  brethren,  who  speak  so  much  of  a 
separation  of  principles  at  death.  I  am  convinced,  and  I 
have  had  evidence  enough  to  convince  any  reasonable  being, 
that  this  present  term  of  experience  we  call  earthly  life  is  but 
one  link  in  an  endless  chain,  and  that  when  these  bodies  fall 
away,  we  simply  go  on  living.  I  was  very  pleased  to  hear 
Mrs.  Catsleigh  agree  to  this  yesterday.  Very  few  who  call 
themselves  metaphysicians  make  this  plain.  Mrs.  Eddy  is, 
to  my  mind,  not  at  all  clear  on  this  subject,  and  with  the 
exception  of  some  passages  in  the  works  of  Dr.  Evans  and 
Miss  Barnett,  I  have  found  very  little  lucidity  of  statement  on 
this  subject.  We  must  try  and  realize  that  we  do  not  die  and 
then  live  again,  we  simply  go  on  living,  and  I  feel  very  sure 
that  death  is  much  more  a  trying  experience  to  those  left 
behind  than  to  those  who  pass  on. 

"  Now,  if  we  realize  that  we  are  precisely  the  same 
individuals  after  we  have  dropped  the  flesh  that  we  were 
before,  what  occurs  to  us  in  one  state  of  existence  is  just  as 
real  and  satisfying  as  though  it  occurred  in  another.  Let 
me  illustrate:  One  of  us  has  earned  a  reward  of  effort;  he  is 
not  paid  in  America,  but  goes  to  France  and  the  account  is 
settled  there  ;  he  receives  so  many  francs  instead  of  so  many 
dollars,  but  the  amount  is  the  same  in  value ;  it  is  thus, 
whether  we  receive  our  reward  here  or  hereafter.  My 
opinion  has  always  been  that  small  results  usually  follow 
quickly  upon  small  transactions,  while  great  consequences 
take  longer  to  become  palpably  fulfilled." 

"What  do  you  think  we  had  better  do  to  cultivate  our 
psychic  powers  ;  do  you  advise  us  to  sit  in  circles,  or  do  you 
repudiate  what  is  known  as  mediumship  ?  I  think  it  very 
dangerous,"  said  Mrs.  Balaclava  Nelson,  a  lady  of  some 
standing  in  a  well-known  Episcopal  Church,  who  had  been 


44  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

slyly  visiting  clairvoyants,  and  lost  a  little  money  and  got 
herself  sometimes  muddled  by  contradictory  communications. 
"I  think,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  we  should  use  proper 
discretion  in  all  matters ;  I  cannot  discountenance  speech 
because  I  try  to  put  down  lying  and  slander;  the  remedy  is 
not  to  cut  out  the  tongue,  for  by  so  doing,  we  should  destroy 
our  power  to  speak  truly  and  kindly.  Everything  is  danger- 
ous in  the  hands  of  the  unscrupulous.  Think  of  the  devasta- 
tion which  might  ensue  were  some  of  my  electrical  instruments 
to  be  viciously  tampered  with  ;  but  am  I  to  discontinue  my 
scientific  studies  and  refuse  to  use  the  electric  force  which  is 
so  mighty  to  build  and  to  destroy,  because  danger  attends 
abuse?  I  think  not,  for  were  I  to  take  such  a  stand,  I  would 
but  veto  every  advance  in  science,  and  lend  my  influence 
toward  a  return  to  the  barbaric  chaos  of  ancient  ignorance. 
Now,  as  to  the  best  method  of  developing,  i.  e.,  calling  out 
whatever  psychic  ability  any  of  you  may  posses,  I  would  say 
avoid  all  promiscuous  circles ;  never  sit  in  the  dark  holding 
the  hands  of  strangers,  and  never  hold  yourselves  in  a  nega- 
tive attitude  of  thought  ready  to  be  psychologized  by  any 
influence  temporarily  in  the  ascendent.  Sit  alone,  or  with  a 
congenial  friend,  or  a  few  trusted  friends  may  sit  together  for 
spiritual  unfoldment ;  but  not  only  is  it  desirable  to  conduct 
things  in  an  orderly  manner  on  the  surface,  if  we  desire 
enlightenment  on  any  subject,  we  must  agree  upon  what  we 
seek;  there  must  be  unity  of  purpose,  and  when  this  is  the 
case,  we  draw  to  us  what  we  steadily  attract,  for  by  the 
focalization  of  thought  on  a  given  object,  great  results  are 
obtained.  This  is  the  secret  of  divination,  and  while  it  is 
not  necessary  to  gaze  into  cups  or  crystals,  there  are  persons 
who  find  outward  aids  valuable,  as  without  some  such  assist- 
ance, they  find  it  difficult  to  concentrate  their  thought. 
Concentration  does  not  mean  intellectual  vacuity,  but  quite 
the  reverse.  It  signifies  intense  aspiration  toward  a  given 
center,  so  that  harmonious  influence  may  reach  us  from  the 
source  to  which  we  look  for  guidance." 


ONE8IMUS    TEMPLETON  45 

Thus  ended  the  questioning. 

As  Dr.  Maxwell  ceased  speaking,  all  present  rose  and 
sang  a  new  doxology,  in  three  stanzas,  written  by  Mrs. 
Finchley  and  set  to  music  by  one  of  the  choir.  After  the 
exercises  were  over,  tongues  began  to  move  rapidly,  and  it 
was  quite  an  hour  before  the  front  door  closed  upon  the  latest 
of  the  lingerers.  No  sooner  had  the  last  of  the  company 
departed,  than  a  sharp  ring  at  the  bell,  and  a  loud  rat-a-tat  tat 
on  the  knocker,  announced  the  arrival  of  Mrs.  Catsleigh  and 
MODS.  Alphonse,  who  had  been  invited  to  dinner.  As  not  the 
faintest  intimation  of  "  company "  had  been  breathed,  and 
Dr.  Maxwell  and  all  his  household  expected  nothing  out  of 
the  common,  everybody  was  positively  startled  to  see  both 
the  visitors  in  the  most  elaborate  evening  dress ;  of  course, 
they  came  in  a  carriage.  Mrs.  Catsleigh  looked  as  though 
she  was  dressed  for  a  grand  ball,  or,  possibly,  for  the  banquet 
scene  in  some  elaborate  play  or  opera ;  her  throat,  arms  and 
shoulders  showed  to  great  advantage,  as  her  firm,  white  flesh 
contrasted  with  the  scarlet  satin  of  her  long  train  gown ;  her 
abundant  raven  hair,  twisted  into  a  loose  knot  at  the  back  of 
her  head,  was  pierced  with  a  gold  and  diamond  arrow  of 
great  size  and  exquisite  workmanship ;  her  white  ostrich  fan, 
splendid  rings,  and  bracelets,  completed  a  decidedly  striking 
toilet,  but  not  a  particularly  restful  one  on  a  hot  July  even- 
ing. 

Mons.  Alphonse  appeared  as  though  he  had  no  possible 
object  in  life  but  to  allow  his  fine  figure  to  set  off  expensive 
clothing  to  the  best  advantage.  Though  loudly,  he  was 
handsomely  dressed;  his  evening  suit  was  of  the  latest 
London  pattern,  his  linen  of  the  choicest,  his  patent  leather 
shoes  fitted  like  gloves ;  his  hair  was  silky  and  glossy  as  a 
raven's  wing,  while  splendid  diamonds  glistened  from  his 
shirt  front  and  his  hands  like  stars  on  a  winter's  night. 

"  Why,  what  have  you  been  doing  here  ?"  exclaimed  that 
gentleman,  noticing  the  number  of  chairs  (nearly  200),  which 
still  remained  in  the  drawing-room.  Have  you  had  a  lecture, 


46  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

why  didn't  you  lot  us  know  ?  Mrs.  Pushing  is  in  town,  j'ust 
run  over  from  Newport ;  called  on  us  this  afternoon  and 
begged  permission  to  meet  you  this  evening ;  hope  I  have  not 
intruded,  but  I  have  asked  her  to  dine  here ;  she  will  be  here 
by  6:30  at  the  latest,  and  it  is  after  6  now." 

"I  shall  be  delighted  to  see  her,"  responded  Dr.  Maxwell, 
"I'm  very  glad  you  asked  her,  but  I  wish  we  had  known 
it  sooner;  we  have  a  very  plain  dinner  and  we  are  not  dressed 
for  company ;  we  really  treated  you  as  old  friends,  though  AYC 
have  only  known  each  other  a  few  days.  I  hope  (turning  to 
Mrs.  Catsleigh),  you  will  excuse  our  appearance,  but  we  had 
no  idea  we  should  have  the  honor  of  Mrs.  Pushing's  com- 
pany; however,  we  shall  no  doubt  enjoy  ourselves  quite  as 
well  as  though  we  were  more  presentable,  and  as  to  the 
dinner,  though  it's  very  simple,  my  cook  usually  makes  things 
palatable." 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right,"  replied  the  lady,  "  I  should  never 
have  got  myself  up  in  this  rig  only  Alphonse  told  me  you 
were  going  to  the  opera  at  ten,  and  we  better  be  prepared  for 
a  front- tier  box."  Then,  suddenly  seeing  she  had  astonished 
her  host,  she  shook  her  fist  at  her  escort,  and  said  with 
assumed  petulance : 

"  Is  this  another  of  your  falsehoods,  you  naughty  fellow  t 
I  shall  soon  send  you  to  the  right  about,  if  you  can't  speak 
truthfully ;  this  isn't  the  first  time  you've  made  me  make  a 
fool  of  myself." 

"I  pray  you  not  to  blame  him,''  quietly  but  quickly 
interposed  the  doctor,  "  probably  I  did  say  something  about 
the  opera,  but  I  have  been  so  much  engaged  it  has  quite 
slipped  my  mind." 

How  far  this  embarrassing  episode  might  have  proceeded 
it  is  difficult  to  conjecture,  had  not  another  loud  ring  at  the 
door-bell  been  quickly  followed  by  the  entrance  of  Mrs.  Amy 
Pushing,  accompanied  by  her  dear  friend  and  submissive 
satellite,  Miss  Theresa  Hockmeir.  Mrs.  Pushing,  be  it  dis- 
tinctly understood,  was  one  of  the  most  popular  teachers  of 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  47 

Mental  Science  who  had  ever  visited  New  York ;  the  previous 
May  she  had  thirty-seven  students  in  her  class  who  had  paid 
her  $50  each,  and  though  her  expenses  for  the  month  had 
amounted  to  $350,  she  had  laid  away  a  clear  $1500  as  the 
result  of  one  month's  teaching;  she  was  now  working  at 
Newport,  but  having  some  business  to  see  after  in  the  great 
city,  had  run  down  on  a  flying  visit.  Being  on  friendly 
terms  with  Mrs.  Catsleigh,  and  knowing  she  was  at  a  pretty 
good  hotel,  she  had  written  to  her  to  secure  a  room  at  the 
Quicksilver.  Immediately  on  arrival,  learning  of  the  interest 
being  taken  in  her  one  subject  by  Dr.  Maxwell  and  his 
friends,  she  had  expressed  a  wish  to  accompany  her  "sister 
in  the  science  "  to  that  gentleman's  residence,  and  was  not 
at  all  disposed  to  leave  her  factotum,  Miss  Hockmeir,  behind 
her. 

Mrs.  Pushing  was  a  woman  who  never  for  an  instant 
forgot  her  dignity  or  lost  sight  of  her  own  importance.  A 
Boston  woman  by  birth  and  education,  she  impressed  all  who 
met  her  as  a  person  of  culture  as  well  as  shrewd  business 
ability.  In  appearance  she  was  rather  commanding,  of  good 
height,  rather  slender  build,  with  piercing  black  eyes,  small 
and  restless  like  a  bird's  ;  her  hair,  which  was  not  much 
thicker  than  a  cobweb,  was  very  carefully  arranged,  being 
evenly  parted  in  front  and  tightly  drawn  up  from  behind  to 
the  crown,  where  it  was  carefully  combed  over  a  silk  pad  of 
exactly  the  same  color.  In  front  of  this  diminutive  chignon, 
which  was  worn  exactly  on  the  top  of  the  head,  was  a  very 
handsome  gold  band  studded  with  five  large  diamonds.  Her 
dress  was  of  rich  black  silk  ornamented  with  Mechlin  lace  of 
fine  quality.  Her  jewelry  was  valuable  but  not  gaudy. 

Miss  Hockmeir  was  a  quiet  little  body  about  ten  years 
younger  than  Mrs.  Pushing,  who  followed  the  elder  lady  like 
her  shadow.  This  unobtrusive  but  useful  little  personage 
did  everything  for  her  employer ;  managed  her  business  as 
far  as  possible,  attended  to  correspondence,  interviewed 
callers,  and  took  the  whole  brunt  of  life  upon  herself.  For 


48  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

these  services  she  was  fed  and  clothed,  but  very  rarely  had 
even  a  dollar  to  call  her  own. 

Dinner  was  served  at  seven,  and  a  very  pleasant  meal  it 
proved  to  be,  though  Mrs.  Pushing  talked  incessantly,  and 
entirely  of  herself  and  her  doings.  She  related  instance  after 
instance  where  she  had  literally  "snatched  from  the  jaws  of 
the  grave,"  distinguished  persons  whom  the  best  physicians 
had  pronounced  incurable. 

Miss  Hockmeir  occasionally  ventured  a  sentence  to  add 
still  further  to  the  effect  of  Mrs.  Pushing's  self-laudation, 
though  we  must  never  forget  that  both  ladies  completely  dis- 
owned having  any  share  in  the  work  other  than  that  of  being 
"Truth's  trumpeters." 

Mrs.  Catsleigh  and  Alphonse  appeared  hungry,  and  did 
full  justice  to  the  dinner,  which  was  a  very  choice  one. 
Everything  was  perfectly  cooked ;  the  courses  were,  however, 
only  four,  and  there  was  no  attempt  at  display  or  excessive 
garniture.  At  eight  they  rose  from  the  table,  and  re-entering 
the  drawing-room,  which  had  been  cleared  of  its  extra  seats 
and  made  very  attractive,  music  was  proposed  as  a  relief  from 
excessive  conversation.  Miss  Lydia  O'Shannon  sang  more 
sweetly  even  than  on  any  previous  occasion,  her  voice  seemed 
to  grow  richer  and  fuller  with  every  fresh  attempt  she  made 
to  exercise  it. 

"The  dear  child,"  said  Mrs.  Pushing,  "I  wish  I  might 
have  her  with  me  for  a  week  by  the  sea.  I  have  a  most 
delightful  little  cottage,  and  Newport  is  charming  at  this 
season.  In  my  company  she  would  grow  so  strong  you  would 
hardly  know  her  on  her  return.  Judge  Firefly's  daughter  is 
visiting  me  at  present,  and  her  father  says  the  change  is 
incredible,  and  only  three  weeks  since  she  was  prostrate  with 
pneumonia." 

"  May  I  ask  you  how  you  treat  ?  I  do  not  fully  under- 
stand your  system.  Sometimes  I  have  severe  headaches  and 
feel  very  weary  after  mental  effort.  I  wish  you  could  tell  me 
how  to  shake  off  these  unpleasant  feelings  T  inquired  Mr. 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  49 

Templeton,  who  was  very  anxious  to  hear  more  of  the  new 
science  for  which  so  much  had  been  claimed. 

"Certainly,"  said  Mrs.  Pushing.  "I  will  give  you  an 
outline  of  my  system,  as  far  as  I  can,  in  a  few  sentences.  I 
see  you  are  a  minister,  and  you  ought  to  give  this  truth  to 
your  people.  I  treat  all  cases  alike.  I  utterly  deny  sin, 
sickness  and  death,  which  are  but  mental  illusions,  errors  of 
belief.  I  deny  the  possibility  of  sickness.  I  deny  that  I  can 
feel  pain  or  be  in  any  way  affected  by  material  things,  for 
we  are  all  spirit  and  there  is  no  matter.  I  do  not  want  to 
know  what  ails  a  patient,  or  anything  about  him.  I  can  treat 
people  thousands  of  miles  off  as  readily  as  though  they  were 
in  my  presence,  for  mind  makes  nothing  of  time  and  distance. 
I  simply  affirm  that  all  is  spirit,  that  all  is  goody  and  then 
deny  the  opposite.  I  negative  the  affirmation  of  disease, 
calling  the  disease  by  name  in  the  act  of  denial  when  it  has 
been  named  to  me ;  otherwise  I  simply  affirm  with  emphasis, 
4  God  is  well,  and  so  are  you.'  Nothing  and  no  one  can  with- 
stand  the  power  of  invincible  truth ;  read  the  New  Testament 
without  prejudice,  and  you  will  see  that  we  are  the  only 
genuine  Christians." 

"  What  you  say  sounds  very  beautiful,  but  I  must  say 
I  cannot  understand  its  application  to  cases  of  physical 
ailment.  Take,  for  instance,  a  broken  bone  or  dislocated 
joint,  how  can  thought  heal  in  such  cases?"  rejoined  Mr. 
Templeton. 

"Spirit  is  everything,"  replied  the  lady,  "and  though 
at  present  we  have  not  fully  learned  to  perfectly  demonstrate 
the  science,  if  we  are  but  faithful,  the  time  will  quickly  come 
when  surgery  as  well  as  medicine  will  be  entirely  needless. 
But  there  is  a  life  to  live  as  well  as  a  gospel  to  proclaim. 
We  must  practice  the  science  individually." 

To  say  that  Mr.  Templeton  was  satisfied  with  these 
replies  would  be  to  claim  too  much  for  the  effect  of  Mrs. 
Pushing's  eloquence,  though  she  was  a  most  effective  speaker 


50  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

and  gesticulated  gracefully  and  freely,  but  introduced  fewer 
theatrical  moves  than  Mrs.  Catsleigh.  Mr.  Templeton  was, 
however,  impressed,  and  when  the  visitors  departed  at  a  rather 
late  hour,  he  sought  his  couch  not  so  much  to  sleep  as  to 
pray  and  think  over  all  he  had  heard  that  day.  New  light 
was  coming  to  him,  but  as  yet  it  was  but  dimly  breaking. 


CHAPTER   TV. 


THE  MAGICIAN  AND  HIS  WARD. 


THE  week  ended  pleasantly  as  it  began  ;  Mr.  Templeton 
grew  more  and  more  satisfied  that  spiritual  force  was  far 
more  directly  operative  in  the  affairs  of  earth  than  he  had 
hitherto  imagined,  and  though  his  early  training  and  mental 
proclivities,  intensified  by  a  long  course  of  special  effort  in  a 
determined  direction,  all  led  him  to  resist  the  encroachment 
of  new  conceptions  of  life  here  and  hereafter,  the  ice  of 
prejudice  and  ignorance  was  rapidly  melting  around  his  heart 
and  brain,  and  where  hitherto  the  skies  had  been  dark  above 
him,  they  were  now  becoming  rapidly  illumined  with  the 
breaking  dawn  of  a  new  and  brighter  day. 

To  a  sensitive  nature,  many  of  the  tenets  of  "  orthodoxy  " 
are  always  appalling ;  the  dogma  of  endless  punishment,  that 
hideous  nightmare  of  theology  which  holds  so  large  a  class 
of  Christians  in  its  gloomy  and  frightful  embrace,  together 
with  a  view  of  atonement  utterly  irreconcilable  with  every 
ennobling  conception  of  divine  or  human  justice,  leadi  gome 
to  despair  and  many  to  infidelity ;  Mr.  Templeton  had  never 
suffered  to  the  extent  that  many  affectionate  natures  suffer 
when  contemplating  these  awful  themes,  but  there  had  been 
constantly  with  him  a  sense  of  sorrow  and  unrest  as  he  dwelt 
on  the  slender  chance  which  "  orthodoxy  "  concedes  to  the 
great  multitude  of  human  beings  of  ever  reaching  the  celestial 
regions. 

The  fate  of  the  heathen  and  of  unbaptized  infants  had 
often  sorely  perplexed  him,  and  through  Swedenborg's 


52  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

"Arcana  Coelestia,"  and  "Apocalypse  Unveiled,"  had  con- 
siderably influenced  him,  he  found  that  though  the  wondrous 
seer  of  Sweden  threw  bright  light  on  difficulties,  there  were 
still  many  mysteries  which  remained  obscure.  In  his  last 
sermon  previous  to  his  departure  for  his  summer  vacation, 
two  or  three  of  the  more  progressive  minds  in  his  audience 
had  noticed  a  faint  tinge  of  "  advanced  thought,"  and  these 
had  decided  within  themselves  that  their  preacher  might  ere 
long,  come  out  a  little  more  broadly  on  the  liberal  platform  ; 
but  with  the  exception  of  a  very  few  sentences,  there  had 
been  nothing  to  indicate  any  approaching  change  of  base. 
How  astonished  then  would  those  good  people,  hidden  snugly 
away  among  the  green  hills  of  Vermont  have  been,  could  they 
have  seen  their  much-regpected  and  steady-going  pastor,  the 
very  next  Sunday  at  a  Unitarian  Church  in  the  morning,  at  a 
Catholic  Cathedral  in  the  afternoon,  and  oh,  whisper  it  with 
bated  breath,  at  a  seance,  yes,  positively  at  a  seance  in  the 
evening. 

Sunday  morning  had  been  devoted  to  attending  the 
ministrations  of  a  celebrated  Unitarian  minister  from 
England,  who  was  preaching  at  All  Souls'  Church  on  Fourth 
Avenue  and  Twentieth  Street,  in  the  absence  of  the  regular 
pastor.  The  whole  service  was  impressive  and  the  sermon  an 
excellent  one ;  but  as  the  Rev.  Paget  Hope  is  not  a  man 
given  to  cloaking  his  convictions  or  apologizing  for  them 
either,  the  Rev.  Onesimus  heard  some  sentiments  which 
rather  startled  him.  The  text  was  from  the  8th  chapter  of 
Romans,  and  was  a  complete  refutation  of  the  Calvinistic 
interpretation  of  that  remarkable  and  difficult  chapter  of 
St.  Paul's  most  brilliant  and  scholarly  epistle ;  this  however 
Mr.  Templeton  could  easily  harmonize  with,  as  the  denomina- 
tion to  which  he  belonged  was  not  given  to  belief  in  preteri- 
tion,  his  wing  of  the  Baptist  Church  being  that  known  as 
general  or  free  will  •  but  when  it  came  to  an  advocacy  of 
evolution,  a  denial  of  special  creation,  a  sharp  criticism  on 
the  historical  accuracy  of  some  portio  s  of  the  gospels,  and 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  53 

to  cap  the  climax,  a  decided  allusion  to  Jesus  as  an  excellent 
but  not  infallible  example  to  mankind,  our  hero  winced 
inwardly ;  he  was,  however,  greatly  pleased  with  Mr.  Hope's 
kind  and  gracious  toleration  of  the  views  of  those  who 
disagreed  with  him,  and  could  not  but  contrast  this  loving 
and  honest  spirit  of  forbearance,  with  the  spiteful  acrimony 
he  had  often  seen  displayed  in  other  quarters. 

At  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  he  had  been  principally 
impressed  with  the  grandeur  and  solidity  of  the  massive 
edifice  and  the  perfectly  harmonious  singing  of  the  boys  in 
the  sanctuary  choir.  The  service  consisted  of  vespers  and 
benediction,  the  sermon  being  omitted  in  the  afternoon  at 
that  season  of  the  year.  The  great  organ  in  tbe  gallery  was 
silent,  and  the  operatic  soloists  who  sing  in  front  of  it  wore 
scattered  at  summer  watering-places  and  else  here.  When 
the  last  strains  of  the  closing  psalm  "Laudate  Dominvm" 
had  died  away,  and  the  chancel  organ  was  pouring  forth  a 
melodious  postlude,  Dr.  Maxwell  proposed  to  his  friend  that 
they  should  stroll  round  the  church  and  inspect  its  treasures. 
As  they  were  examining  some  exquisite  carving  behind  one 
of  the  altars,  they  were  greatly  startled  at  beholding  two 
individuals  as  utterly  unlike  as  any  two  could  be,  the  one 
standing,  the  other  kneeling  in  front  of  a  beautiful  shrine 
erected  in  the  Lady  chapel. 

The  standing  figure  was  a  singularly  handsome,  but  most 
extraordinary  looking  man  in  the  full  glory  of  a  splendid 
young  maturity;  tall, shapely  and  faultlessly  attired, his  head 
adorned  with  a  magnificent  crown  of  rich,  bright  golden  hair, 
his  eyes  green  as  emeralds,  green  as  the  deepest  hue  of  the 
Irish  sea,  green  as  the  grass  in  early  spring  or  as  the  sham- 
rock of  old  Ireland — dazzling,  fascinating,  winning,  repelling, 
terrifying,  alluring,  commanding  eyes,  eyes  that  could  flash 
lightning  from  their  emerald  depths,  eyes  whose  glance  could 
cause  the  strongest  opponent  to  cower  before  them,  eyes  that 
could  draw  with  irresistible  magnetic  force  whoever  could  be 
found  susceptible  to  their  imperious  beauty;  eyes  that 


54  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

betokened  strength  perchance  born  of  some  great  magician's 
skill,  but  whose  darting  rays  had  no  tale  to  tell  of  soft 
emotions  or  of  tender  love. 

The  other  figure  was  a  boy  not  over  fourteen,  of  slender, 
supple  form,  with  jet  black  locks,  and  dark  brown  eyes,  full 
of  pleading,  yearning  wistfulness  as  they  were  riveted  upon 
the  statue  of  the  mother  of  Christ.  With  a  brief  imperial 
touch  of  the  tip  of  one  finger  on  the  kneeling  boy's  shoulder, 
the  stately  man  caused  him  to  rise  instantly  and  accompany 
him  down  the  aisle  and  out  of  the  church.  Though  previously 
absorbed  in  devotion  and  quite  oblivious  to  his  surroundings, 
the  child  instantly  responded  to  his  master's  will,  as  a  dumb 
animal  might  obey  the  slightest  gesture  of  a  powerful  human 
hand  whose  lightest  touch  could  never  be  resisted  by  the 
subject  creature.  This  singular  couple  so  impressed  Dr. 
Maxwell  and  his  friend  that  they  soon  followed  the  mysterious 
pair  out  of  the  church  and  walked  for  some  distance  behind 
them,  down  Fifth  Avenue,  observing  the  perfect  compliance 
of  the  child  with  his  director's  every  movement.  The  boy 
wore  on  his  head  a  scarlet  cap,  after  a  fashion  rarely  seen 
except  in  Greece  and  the  islands  of  the  Mediterranean ;  his 
stately  companion  wore  a  straw  hat  of  light  and  fanciful 
design  which  rested  carelessly  on  his  abundant  shimmering 
hair. 

"  What  can  be  the  relation  between  those  two  ?"  exclaimed 
the  doctor,  "  they  are  so  utterly  unlike ;  the  man  must  be  a 
Kussian  and  the  boy  a  Greek,  they  cannot  be  related. 
Surely,  the  child  is  not  a  servant,  he  appears  of  noble,  at  all 
events,  of  gentle  birth ;  and  his  haughty,  masterful  attendant 
cannot  surely  be  his  tutor.  They  excite  my  interest,  they 
constitute  a  psychological  phenomenon.  I  would  like  to 
investigate.  That  handsome  man  is  certainly  a  tyrant;  those 
eyes  are  utterly  devoid  of  mer  y  or  compassion ;  he  suggests 
to  me  a  god  of  Norse  mythology,  dressed  by  a  London  tailor 
and  holding  command  over  a  Kussian  army.  It  strikes  me 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  55 

he  is  a  Kussian  nobleman,  but  how  the  boy  comes  to  be 
associated  with  him  is  a  marvel." 

"  His  eyes  are  simply  horrible,"  broke  in  Mr.  Templeton, 
"  they  positively  made  me  shudder ;  I  shall  never  forget  the 
expression  which  came  into  them,  and  suddenly  vanished 
when  he  saw  we  were  observing  him ;  conscious  power, 
egotism,  vanity,  disdain,  all  gleamed  forth  at  once,  he  looked 
at  me  as  though  I  were  a  noxious  reptile  ;  his  glance  in  your 
direction  was  somewhat  less  disapproving.  I  have  a  feeling 
that  we  shall  meet  that  man  and  boy  when  we  least  expect  it, 
and  if  we  are  not  careful  we  may  be  led  into  some  trouble ;  a 
man  with  those  eyes  would  stop  at  nothing.  In  Mrs.  Cats- 
leigh's  agent,  Alphonse,  we  witness  a  combination  of  the  low 
cunning  of  the  monkey  with  the  vanity  of  the  peacock;  but 
in  this  mysterious  Russian,  I  can  discern  the  tiger  and  the 
serpent,  which  you  will  grant  is  not  a  very  safe  combination." 

"You're  waxing  eloquent,  my  friend,  in  a  direction  which 
has  always  interested  me  intensely,"  responded  Dr.  Maxwell. 
"  When  I  was  a  child  I  traced  resemblances  between  my 
schoolmates  and  all  sorts  of  creatures,  and  seeking  to  verify 
my  fancies  I  studied  the  traits  and  habits  of  various  birds, 
animals  and  fishes,  and  found  in  almost  every  instance  that 
when  I  could  trace  a  likeness  to  some  lower  creature  in  a 
human  being,  the  person  in  whom  I  traced  it,  behaved  very 
much  like  the  animal  he  favored  in  appearance.  But  we  are 
now  at  our  own  door  and  I  have  a  few  preparations  to  make 
for  our  gathering  and  experiments  this  evening,  you  will 
therefore  excuse  me  till  9  o'clock,  when  I  shall  join  you  in  the 
drawing  room.  Mrs.  Finchley  will  preside  at  the  dinner 
table.  Before  a  seance  such  as  the  one  we  are  to  hold  this 
evening,  I  eat  nothing  but  fruit  aiid  bread,  with  pure  water 
for  a  beverage,  which  I  take  alone  in  my  study.  I  advise  you 
all  to  dine  lightly,  but  you  are  none  of  you  gourmands,  so  my 
advice  is  not  much  needed." 

By  8:30,  Mrs.  Finchley,  the  O'Shannong,  and  Mr.  Tem- 
pleton were  in  the  drawing  room  awaiting  the  arrival  of 


56  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

guests.  Only  those  who  were  well-known  to  our  host,  and 
fully  in  sympathy  with  his  views  were  ever  invited  to  take 
part  in  any  circle  under  his  roof;  for,  unlike  foolish  proselyters 
he  knew  how  dire  were  the  results  following  upon  the  intro- 
duction of  an  element  of  discord  into  "  psychical  research." 
Shortly  before  9  o'clock,  five  persons  entered  the  room 
together ;  they  were  Prof.  Kiddersley,  a  man  fully  seventy 
years  old,  but  in  the  best  of  physical  as  well  as  mental  health. 
a  gentleman  of  the  highest  culture  and  truest  refinement,  one 
moreover,  who  had  been  led  to  investigate  Spiritualism  in 
consequence  of  startling  demonstrations  in  his  own  family ; 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Jarvis-Forbes,  a  singularly  well  matched  couple, 
who  worked  together  in  the  direction  of  hygienic  and  other 
reforms  with  perfect  equanimity ;  Mrs.  Emily  Gore  Angus- 
thorpe,  an  English  lady  of  exalted  social  position ;  and  her 
younger  brother,  fresh  from  his  studies  and  pastimes  at  Cam- 
bridge University,  the  Honourable  Freddie  Pugge  Gore. 

After  a  few  minutes  spent  in  pleasant  social  conversation 
Dr.  Maxwell  entered,  bowing  and  smiling  to  all  his  friends 
and  addressing  some  pleasant  and  appropriate  word  of 
greeting  to  each,'  but  shaking  hands  with  nobody.  "  Now," 
said  he,  "let  us  commence  the  first  portion  of  our  exercises; 
we  need  to  collect  our  thoughts  and  direct  our  aspirations 
unitedly  to  the  common  fount  whence  all  good  proceeds 
before  arranging  ourselves  into  the  circle  which  we  have  been 
directed  to  form  at  10  o'clock  precisely.  I  feel  a  very  agree- 
able sense  of  harmony  pervading  the  atmosphere  to-night, 
and  I  doubt  not  we  shall  witness  something  truly  remarkable." 
Then  giving  his  arm  to  Miss  Lydia  O'Shannon  he  led  her  to 
the  piano  and  whispering,  "  Schumann's  Eighth  Nocturne,  if 
you  please,"  left  her  at  the  instrument  and  took  a  seat  by 
himself  in  a  distant  corner  of  the  room.  During  the  exquisite 
music,  a  gentle  electric  current  was  felt  passing  through  the 
room;  this  was  due  to  an  atmospheric  distribution  of  elec- 
tricity well  known  to  some  scientists  and  perfectly  understood 
by  Prof,  de  Montmarte,  Dr.  Maxwell's  instructor  in  science 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  57 

While  the  current  was  gradually  equalizing  and  purifying 
the  atmosphere,  Miss  O'Shannon,  whose  voice  as  well  as 
touch  was  daily  increasing  in  firmness  and  purity,  sang  three 
of  Heinrich's  beautiful  German  melodies  in  that  fine  com- 
poser's native  tongue.  Just  as  the  hour  was  approaching  10, 
and  the  imusic  about  to  cease,  the  front  door-bell  sounded 
imperatively,  and  after  a  minute's  interval  a  page  knocked 
timidly  on  the  door,  which  was  however  opened  immediately 
with  a  firm  hand,  when  the  mysterious  stranger  of  the 
afternoon  walked  decisively  to  the  center  of  the  room,  followed 
by  the  Greek  lad  who  acted  like  his  shadow.  Not  apologizing 
in  the  slightest  for  his  intrusion  but  on  the  contrary  express- 
ing in  every  movement  a  sense  of  unbounded  superiority,  he 
handed  a  note  to  Dr.  Maxwell  whom  he  had  only  glanced  at 
in  the  Cathedral  that  afternoon,  with  the  air  of  an  old 
acquaintance,  or  to  speak  more  correctly,  with  that  of  some 
distinguished  nobleman  who  consented  graciously  to  patronize 
a  poor  physician.  On  opening  the  letter  the  doctor's  counte- 
nance immediately  took  on  an  animated  and  cordial  express- 
ion, for  he  instantly  recognized  the  well-known  caligraphy  of 
his  preceptor.  The  letter  ran  thus  : 

"DEAR  BERNARD: — I  introduce  to  you,  Count  Katolowyn- 
ski,  who  will  I  know  be  able  to  assist  you  in  your  studies;  he 
is  attended  by  his  protege,  a  singularly  fine  lucide. 
Yours  in  the  true  Bond, 

JEROME  DE  M. 
PARIS,  July  6,  '87." 

"How  long  have  you  been  in  New  York?"  enquired 
Mrs.  Finchley  of  the  haughty  Count,  after  the  usual  formali- 
ties of  introduction  had  been  abruptly  curtailed  by  that 
gentleman's  saying  "  introductions  are  needless,  I  know  you 
all." 

"Three  days,"  he  replied,  curtly,  "we  arrived  on 
Thursday  from  Paris.  Now,  if  you  wish  this  evening  to  be 
other  than  wasted,  we  will  commence  at  once  with  the 
business  we  have  in  hand." 


58  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

"  Zenophon,  lie  down  on  that  rug,"  (addressing  the  boy 
and  pointing  to  a  tiger  skin  on  the  floor).  "  Now,  be  still  all 
of  you,  don't  move  after  you  have  drawn  your  chairs  around 
this  centre.  There,  that  is  right,  just  a  natural  circle  ;  and 
no  one  nearer  than  six  feet  from  the  centre.  No  matter  how 
you  place  yourselves  so  long  as  you  are  comfortable.  Play  a 
reverie  Mademoiselle  (turning  to  Miss  O'Shannon,  who  took 
her  place  near  the  piano).  Now,  doctor,  tell  me  where  you 
wish  Zenophon  to  go,  anywhere  you  like,  and  I'll  send  him  ?" 

To  say  that  some  of  the  company  were  startled  would  be 
to  express  their  feelings  far  too  mildly,  they  were  awed  as 
animals  are  apt  to  be  immediately  before  a  tremendous 
electric  storm,  then  after  their  agitation  they  sink  into  a 
silent,  awful  expectancy  of  they  know  not  what.  Dr.  Maxwell 
was  deeply  interested,  but  otherwise  unmoved ;  Mrs.  Finchley 
felt  rather  nervous,  but  endeavored  not  to  show  it;  Mr. 
Freddie  Pugge  Gore  felt  uncanny  and  squirmed  in  his  chair ; 
the  other  ladies  and  gentlemen  felt  they  were  about  to  witness 
something  they  would  rather  not  have  faced,  still  their 
curiosity  was  aroused  and  they  felt  an  undercurrent  of  eager 
longing  to  see  all  that  could  possibly  be  shown  them.  Mr. 
Templeton  felt  some  of  his  old  fear  of  witchcraft  rising 
within  him,  and  began  to  feel  that  perhaps  after  all  he  had 
been  consorting  with  the  devil,  disguised  as  an  angel  of  light 
during  the  past  week.  The  reverie  which  was  one  of  Guardi- 
celli's  sweet  mystic  compositions,  ended  in  "a  low  moaning 
prayer  to  the  angel  of  music,  to  baptize  the  earth  with  the 
waters  of  melody  from  the  fountain  of  Asphodel  in  the 
Elysian  fields,"  to  quote  from  a  criticism  of  the  composition 
in  a  fashionable  musical  review. 

"Send  him  to  our  mutual  friend,"  said  Dr.  Maxwell  to 
the  Count  immediately  the  music  ceased.  Instantly  Count 
Katolowynski  walked  round  the  recumbent  boy  three  times, 
hen  breathed  on  his  eyes  and  into  his  nostrils  seven  times, 
keeping  his  own  lips  tightly  compressed  while  Zeuophon 
turned  round  upon  the  soft  fur  on  which  he  lay,  and  after 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  59 

breathing  a  deep  and  heavy  sigh,  seemed  to  be  riven  from 
his  form  by  some  all  potent  spell ;  his  lustrous  eyes  dilated 
and  his  lips  began  to  move,  uttering  faint,  inarticulate 
sounds. 

"  What  is  it,  quick,"  said  the  Count,  as  he  watched  the 
pleased  expression  on  the  sleeping  lad's  illumined  features. 

"  I  see  "  clearly  responded  the  entranced  boy,  "  a  beauti- 
ful lady,  with  rippling  golden  hair,  eyes  as  blue  as  sapphires, 
and  skin  like  the  lillies  fair ;  she  is  beside  a  painting  of  the 
Madonna  like  the  one  in  this  room,  she  has  arisen  early  from 
her  couch  and  is  at  prayer ;  her  soul  is  far  away  from  her 
flesh.  In  the  room  acrogs  the  spacious  corridor  into  which 
all  the  doors  open,  is  a  man  of  venerable  but  almost  juvenile 
appearance;  he  must  be  fifty  five  at  least  but  he  looks  quite 
young ;  the  lovely  girl  is  his  only  daughter,  and  between  them 
exists  a  subtle  fluid  chain  of  electric  ether.  Listen  !  I  hear  a 
voice,  it  says  "await  the  coming  of  the  Masterfrom  across  the 
sea,  he  comes  to-night  from  far  Afghanistan,  yea  from  his 
holy  temple  there  sequestered  'mid  the  hills,  and  he  tells  you 
to  be  free."  Freedom  is  the  boon  I  crave,  I  am  a  slave." 

At  these  last  words  the  classic  features  of  the  Count 
became  convulsed  with  wrath;  darting  his  eyes  upon  the 
innocent  victim  of  his  displeasure  he  literally  scorched  him 
with  their  burning  rays.  Not  deigning  to  explain  anything 
to  the  wonder  struck  observers,  he  struck  the  boy  a  sharp 
blow  across  the  chest,  then  addressing  Dr.  Maxwell,  said : 
"Now  ask  your  Parisian  friends  any  questions  you  like,  the 
wiro  of  communication  is  laid  and  you  will  receive  responses 
just  as  though  they  were  actually  in  your  bodily  presence, 
this  you  understand,  I  simply  mention  the  fact  for  the  benefit 
of  the  vulgar."  At  hearing  herself  denominated  vulgar, 
though  the  word  was  used  only  in  the  classic  sense,  Mrs. 
Angusthorpe  grew  livid,  but  a  spell  being  on  her,  as  well  as 
on  all  the  others,  she  kept  her  feelings  to  herself.  The 
doctor  first  asked  "Can  Heloise  inform  me  when  I  shall 
perfect  my  process  for  so  electrifying  my  office  that  my 


60  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

patients  will  not  need  external  treatment  at  my  hands?" 
"  To-morrow,"  answered  the  boy,  "  the  Master  is  here  to-night 
to  celebrate  your  victory  over  the  cruder  elements  of  the 
atmosphere  against  which  you  have  so  long  been  battling ; 
to-morrow  morning  at  10  a  woman  suffering  from  paralysis 
will  be  cured  in  your  sanctum  without  any  physical  action  or 
mental  force  of  yours ;  Heloise  is  here  now  in  spirit,  she 
smiles  on  me,  but  frowns  on  my  director." 

Againt  Count  Katolowynski  flushed  with  rage,  for  this 
was  another  pointed  allusion  to  the  subject  upon  which  he 
and  Prof,  de  Montmarte  and  Heloise  had  decidedly  disagreed 
in  Paris  only  three  weeks  before.  The  Montmartes  had 
insisted  that  Zenophon  was  to  be  liberated  from  his  subju- 
gator's will  and  that  higher  powers  were  about  to  take  him 
fully  under  their  protection.  The  Count  had  resented  this 
prediction  with  positive  vindictiveness  and  on  the  occasion  of 
their  last  meeting  a  fierce  altercation  had  ensued.  Heloise 
had  defied  her  stately  antagonist  and  had  commanded  him  to 
yield  up  his  prey  and  give  the  captive  boy  his  freedom.  She 
had  indeed  assured  him  that  she  could  and  would  rescue  the 
child  whom  he  had  in  her  presence  lashed  with  a  horsewhip 
till  he  was  insensible,  and  then  restored  by  a  magnetic 
process  only  just  before  it  was  too  late.  Disgusted  with  such 
despotism,  and  being  herself  a  living  embodiment  of  electric 
force  she  actually  fastened  the  Count's  feet  to  the  floor  in  the 
presence  of  a  domestic  by  her  WILL,  and  then  calling  the 
trembling  boy  to  her  side,  said  with  the  majesty  of  a  queen 
confering  liberty  on  a  captive  subject,  "  I  release  you."  The 
boy  looked  at  her  with  eyes  full  of  gratitude  and  love,  but 
turning  away  his  face,  sadly  replied,  "I  love  my  master,  and 
to  him  I  shall  ever  belong." 

Rightly  indignant  at  this  response  and  feeling  certain 
the  mesmeric  influence  of  the  Count  was  the  sole  cause  of 
such  an  answer,  she  lifted  her  eyes  and  straightened  her 
form  till  she  appeared  an  incarnation  of  divine  justice  resist- 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  61 

ing  human  tyranny  and  called  aloud — "  Azoriel  we  await  your 
judgment." 

Even  the  Count,  magician  though  he  was  trembled  when 
he  heard  a  heavenly  voice  vibrating  clearly  through  the  room, 
"Zenophon,  henceforth  I  am  thy  guardian."  The  boy 
covered  his  face  with  his  hands,  then  addressing  Heloise 
said,  "I  have  seen  your  guardian  angel;  he  is  mine  also/*' 

Knowing  how  needless  it  would  have  been  to  interfere 
any  longer  between  the  Count  and  the  child,  as  a  higher 
power  had  interposed,  she  bade  the  man  a  cold,  and  the  lad 
a  most  gracious  farewell ;  and  left  the  matter  in  the  hands  of 
the  unseen  but  glorious  and  mighty  intelligence  whom  she 
well  knew  to  be  the  prompter  of  her  father's  greatest  dis- 
coveries in  science  as  well  as  her  own  protector  in  every  time 
of  need.  Count  Katolowynski  never  forgave  her  for  this 
scene  and  vowed  he  never  would;  but  knowing  the  affair  to 
be  no  farce,  he  was  really  afraid  lest  the  boy,  who  brought 
him  a  fortune  through  his  clairvoyant  gift  (and  whom  he 
really  loved  in  a  brutal  way  despite  his  cruelty),  should  be 
removed  beyond  his  reach  by  some  supernatural  agency 
against  which  bolts  and  bars  afford  no  sort  of  protection. 
In  the  voyage  across  the  Atlantic,  Zenophon  had  been  sub- 
missive and  affectionate  in  the  extreme,  rendering  him  all  the 
prostrate  homage  he  exacted ;  reclining  at  his  feet  and  gazing 
up  into  his  face,  the  little  fellow  would  assure  him  that 
heaven  would  be  hell  were  not  his  sovereign  there  to  rule 
him ;  but  now  for  the  first  time  since  their  arrival  in  America 
that  he  had  undertaken  to  experiment  with  the  boy,  though 
as  of  old  the  mesmeric  spell  took  full  effect,  in  his  trance  the 
child  divulged  unpleasant  facts  concerning  their  mutual 
relations,  expressing  discontent  with  slavery  and  declaring 
himself  as  soon  to  be  released  from  his  now  irksome  bondage. 
These  circumstances  were  sufficient  to  goad  him  to  despera- 
tion, and  as  people  usually  jeopardize  their  own  interests 
sorely,  when  they  allow  passion  to  run  away  with  reason, 
Count  Katolowynski  by  his  very  determination  to  hold  all 


62  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

and  win  more,  staked  all  and  lost,  as  the  sequel  will  amply 
prove. 

The  boy  awoke  feverish  and  fatigued,  something  quite 
unusual,  for  he  had  lain  in  a  dead  stupor  sometimes  for  days 
at  a  time  without  eating  or  drinking  anything  while  revealing 
startling  facts  to  a  long  succession  of  visitors  almost  without 
intermission,  and  then  awoke  on  the  third  or  fourth  day 
bright  and  strong,  beaming  with  affection  on  his  master. 
Now  he  was  evidently  under  another  influence  and  the  power 
of  the  Count  was  no  longer  in  the  ascendant.  Thinking  it 
advisable  to  adopt  decisive  measures  then  and  there,  he  threw 
himself  upon  the  child  and  by  sheer  force  of  will  compelled 
him  to  return  to  the  magnetic  state,  which  he  did  instantly  ; 
but  no  sooner  was  the  boy  asleep  than  everybody  in  the  room 
felt  a  strange  electric  shock,  which  to  some  was  delightful 
and  invigorating  in  the  extreme,  but  to  others  somewhat 
disagreeable,  according  to  the  state  of  each  recipient ;  electric 
sparks  were  seen  in  all  parts  of  the  apartment  and  the  air 
seemed  alive  with  an  unseen  presence.  Zenophon  started  in 
his  slumbers,  exclaiming  "the  Master!  the  Master/"  Then 
instantly  a  clear,  resonant  voice  rang  through  the  air 
accompanied  by  a  sweet  and  powerful  treble  which  those 
who  had  heard  it  before  recognized  as  the  mystic  voice  of 
Heloise. 

The  boy  rose  erect  and  clasping  his  hands  upon  his 
breast,  with  eyes  upturned,  his  whole  frame  and  every  feature 
quivering  with  delight,  murmured  "  at  last  I  am  free,"  and 
with  these  words  sank  back  on  the  tiger  fur  and  was  soon 
breathing  heavily  as  children  do  when  sleeping  sweetly  after 
unusual  tension  of  the  nerves. 

The  Count  sat  down  and  watched  the  proceedings  with 
glowering  displeasure,  but  he  knew  too  well  how  absurd  it 
would  have  been  for  him  to  have  attempted  to  direct  the 
current  of  events.  The  boy  was  now  clearly  beyond  his 
psychical  embrace,  but  he  trusted  that  though  all  fear  and 
enforced  submission  were  over,  love  would  yet  continue  to 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  63 

dictate  that  absolutely  willing  surrender  to  another's  -will, 
which  enables  the  psychologist  to  succeed  far  better  than 
when  the  subject's  will  is  coerced  in  his  interest.  Contenting 
himself  as  best  he  could  with  this  anticipation,  he  affected 
haughty,  almost  insolent  indifference  to  all  that  transpired ; 
and  at  length,  as  the  voices  completely  absorbed  the  attention 
of  all  present  except  himself,  he  noiselessly  left  the  room  and 
wandered  into  the  library.  Other  than  the  lights  and  voices, 
there  were  no  phenomena,  and  these  voices  were  those  of 
people  still  living  and  actively  engaged  on  earth,  though  their 
psychic  selves  were  for  the  time  liberated  from  their  ordinary 
physical  environment. 

Mr.  Templeton,  who  had  never  seen  or  heard  anything 
of  the  wonders  of  the  hidden  realm  prior  to  his  visit  to  New 
York, — if  we  except  a  low  and  ridiculous  take-off  of  Spiritual- 
ism, in  the  shape  of  bogus  materializations  palmed  off  by 
itinerant  show-people  on  the  credulous  villagers  of  Vermont, 
— was  at  last  convinced  that  whatever  explanations  might  be 
given  of  the  wonders  now  displayed,  fraud  could  not  account 
for  them.  Ventriloquism  was  out  of  the  question,  as  the 
information  given  in  answer  to  his  own  questions  precluded 
the  possibility  of  the  ventriloquist's  art  supplying  the 
responses,  while  mechanical  electricity,  with  all  its  potency, 
cannot  reasonably  be  regarded  as  the  source  of  definite  human 
intelligence.  "  And  then,"  queried  the  minister,  "what right 
have  we,  whatever  theologians  may  say  to  the  contrary,  to 
give  the  devil  credit  for  truthful,  accurate  information  and 
advice  which  if  followed  by  us  all  would  soon  transform  this 
earth  into  a  paradise.  But  yet,"  he  queried,  "how  is  it 
possible  for  a  girl  in  Paris,  and  a  savan  in  Afghanistan  to 
make  their  voices  heard  in  a  New  York  drawing-room  !"  Let 
this  quotation  from  a  rare  old  treatise  on  "  The  Faculties  of 
the  Superior  Man,"  suggest  an  explanation  if  it  cannot  fully 
solve  the  riddle. 

Theophilus  O'Hague  says  :  "  So  complicated  and  yet  so 
simple  is  the  mechanism  of  the  psychic  form  and  so  perfectly 


64  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

intelligible  is  the  law  which  governs  it,  that  though  unknown 
to  the  most  of  men,  all  adepts  are  aware  that  there  is  a 
vibrating  cord  of  vitality  between  the  corporeal  structure  and 
the  travelling  psychic ;  while  the  will  force  of  any  twice-born 
man  is  quite  sufficient  to  guide  his  psychic  body  to  the  place 
where  he  would  be,  leaving  his  earthly  tenement  asleep  upon 
his  bed.  When  the  travelling  psychic  can  control  surround- 
ing ether  to  a  sufficient  extent,  he  can  produce  sounds  and 
sights  audible  and  visible  to  those  whom  he  visits  psychically. 
Would'st  thou,  oh  tyro,  on  the  threshold  of  the  mysteries, 
attain  this  skill,  thou  must  thy  rising  anger  well  restrain,  and 
holding  thyself  above  the  allurements  of  dull  sense,  so  live 
superior  to  the  fetid  aura  of  a  world  of  sin  that  thou  canst 
defy  the  unnatural  limits  sin  imposed  on  the  human  race." 


CHAPTEE    V. 


DIVINE    HEALING. 


THE  following  morning,  notwithstanding  the  exciting 
events  of  the  previous  night  and  the  late  hour  at  which  our 
friends  had  retired,  they  were  all  seated  at  the  breakfast 
table  by  9  o'clock,  and  though  a  close  observer  would  have 
noticed  an  unusual  thoughtfulness  in  the  expression  of  all,  an 
unobserving  stranger  would  have  detected  nothing  out  of  the 
ordinary.  The  extraordinary  events  of  the  previous  night 
had  thrown  a  weird  and  almost  uncanny  glamour  over  the 
whole  aspect  of  affairs,  in  the  mind  of  Mr.  Templeton.  For 
some  time  past  he  had  been  giving  thought  to  mystical 
matters,  now  things  he  had  hitherto  deemed  impossible  had 
been  absolutely  verified  in  his  own  experience ;  he  had  now 
passed  the  rubicon  of  doubt  and  could  no  longer  remain  a 
skeptic  toward  what  had  been  so  abundantly  demonstrated  to 
him ;  but  to  a  Baptist  minister  to  whom  a  very  real  personal 
devil  had  been  a  familiar  figure  almost  from  infancy,  the 
likelihood  of  what  he  had  witnessed  having  emanated  from 
his  Satanic  Majesty  seemed  a  possible  though  not  probable 
contingency. 

The  singular  conduct  of  Count  Katolowynski  had  excited 
in  his  mind  the  strangest  emotions.  That  gentleman  had 
returned  to  the  drawing-room  at  the  conclusion  of  the  seance, 
partaken  of  refreshments  and  chatted  affably,  but  his  whole 
demeanor  revealed  to  the  perspicuous,  his  offended  dignity, 
desperate  resolve,  and  scarce  admitted  fear.  Zenophon  had 
remained  in  Dr.  Maxwell's  house  all  night  and  was  still 
sleeping  soundly;  the  Count  went  to  his  hotel  about  1  A.M., 


66  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

outwardly  polite,  but  inwardly  muttering  vengeance.  Dr. 
Maxwell  was  unable  to  conceal  a  slight  trembling  of  expect- 
ancy as  10  o'clock  approached,  when  (if  the  prediction  so 
singularly  made  was  to  prove  true)  he  would  meet  a  sufferer 
from  paralysis  who  would  pay  him  a  simple  professional  call 
and  there  and  then  be  restored  to  health  and  vigor.  "  To 
doubt  would  be  disloyalty,"  this  line  of  Faber's  beautiful  hymn 
kept  running  through  his  mind,  and  as  in  the  past  he  had 
received  many  verifications  of  almost  equally  wonderful 
prophecies,  he  felt  pretty  well  assured  that  this  day  was  to 
prove  a  singularly  eventful  one  to  him  and  to  Mr.  Templeton 
whom  he  dotermined  to  invite  into  his  study  to  witness  all 
that  transpired. 

Ten  o'clock  came,  and  just  as  the  gong  in  the  hall  was 
sounding  the  hour,  the  door-bell  rang.  The  summons  being 
quickly  answered  by  the  ever  ready  page,  a  lady  about  fifty 
years  of  age,  with  a  pale  drawn  face,  evidently  with  no  use  of 
her  lower  limbs,  was  slowly  carried  into  the  house  by  two 
attendants.  As  soon  as  these  assistants  had  deposited  her 
in  an  easy  chair  in  the  doctor's  office  and  had  begun  to  detail 
the  symptoms  and  history  of  her  case,  she  was  abruptly 
stopped  in  her  narative  by  experiencing  a  decided  electric 
thrill ;  we  purposely  avoid  the  word  shock,  as  the  true  electric 
system  of  practice  never  causes  patients  to  suffer  from  the 
violent  action  of  the  remedial  agent  which  in  its  fiercer  moods 
is  often  destructive  and  dangerous  rather  than  constructive 
and  beneficial.  Whence  came  the  thrill  ?  No  treatment  was 
administered  from  any  visible  battery  or  in  any  external 
manner  whatsoever,  and  neither  Dr.  Maxwell,  Mrs.  Finchley 
nor  Mr.  Templeton  who  were  all  in  the  room,  felt  anything. 
A  succession  of  thrills  one  after  the  other,  following  in  rapid 
sequence  caused  the  invalid  to  exclaim,  "  What  are  you  doing 
to  me,  oh  !  can  it  be  true  that  miracles  are  performed  to-day 
as  they  were  of  old?  Father  Franciscati  at  the  Hoboken 
Monastery  told  us  they  were  now  possible  and  saints  could 
perform  them ;  he  said  so  when  I  was  carried  into  the  church 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  67 

and  placed  in  a  special  reclining  chair  near  the  privileged 
altar,  but  I  was  one  of  the  many  who  had  to  be  content  with 
the  assurance  that  my  affliction  was  for  my  good  and  there- 
fore God  would  not  remove  it;  several  people  were  healed 
during  the  novena  in  honor  of  S.  Stanislaus,  but  I  left  the 
church  a  little  happier  in  mind,  a  little  more  resigned  to  my 
condition,  but  none  the  abler  to  walk  than  when  I  entered  it ; 
but  now  I  feel  something,  oh,  so  different  from  what  I  ever 
felt  before.  I've  been  ill  three  years,  I  was  struck  the  day 
my  only  son  was  shot  in  Virginia ;  nothing  and  no  one  could 
help  me.  I've  been  everywhere  and  tried  everything,  and 
should  never  have  come  to  you  had  I  not  been  recommended 
to  try  Christian  Science.  I  was  directed  to  Mrs.  Catsleigh 
who  said  she  never  healed  while  she  was  teaching  and  she 
directed  me  to  you.  What  is  this  force?  Do  tell  me,  I  can't 
understand  it.  I  feel  my  son  standing  at  my  elbow  but  I  sc  e 
nothing;  Oh!  now  he  beckons  me.  Gregoire  take  me  to  you 
if  you  can ;"  and  the  lady  sank  into  a  deep  motionless  slumber 
from  which  she  did  not  awake  till  after  3  P.M. 

When  she  awoke  the  change  which  had  come  over  her 
was  so  miraculous  that  even  Dr.  Maxwell, — accustomed 
though  he  had  been  in  Paris  to  similar  demonstrations  of 
electric  power, — could  not  believe  his  eyes  when  he  saw  the 
once  wretched-looking  and  prematurely  aged  woman,  get  up 
without  the  slightest  difficulty  from  her  chair  and  walk  across 
the  room  as  blithely  as  a  girl.  To  say  she  was  completely 
cured  by  this  one  treatment  would  be  to  exaggerate,  but  she 
had  recovered  perfect  freedom  in  the  use  of  her  limbs ;  her 
system  might  need  some  days  for  recuperation  before  it 
would  be  wise  for  her  to  return  home,  but  to  all  appearance 
she  was  as  well  as  she  had  ever  been  in  her  life.  Not 
realizing  that  she  had  been  in  an  electric  trance  for  five 
consecutive  hours,  she  looked  about  her  in  a  half-dazed 
manner,  and  seeing  the  clock  on  the  mantel  point  to  3:30, 
consulted  her  watch  which  greatly  astonished  her  by  point- 
ing to  the  same  hour. 


68  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

"Where  have  I  been  and  what  has  happened?"  was  her 
first  inquiry.  "  I  saw  Gregoire  just  for  an  instant,  he  took 
me  somewhere,  I  can't  say  where.  I  felt  a  cold,  invigorating 
current  pass  through  my  frame,  then  I  dozed  and  woke  to 
find  you  all  here  just  as  you  were  when  I  fell  asleep."  The 
doctor  endeavored  to  explain  to  her  that  he  knew  by  means 
of  electrical  diagnosis  that  her  difficulties  had  all  arisen  from 
her  deep  grief  at  the  sudden  loss  of  her  only  son,  and  conse- 
quently that  no  treatment  could  prove  availing  which  did  not 
set  her  mind  at  rest  in  that  direction.  Electricity,  though  a 
medium  of  communication  between  the  "  two  worlds,"  is  not 
self -intelligent ;  it  is  however,  the  externalized  force  of  life, 
which  vibrates  responsive  to  intelligence,  it  is  therefore 
employed  to  accommodate  truth  to  human  consciousness;  it 
is  indeed  the  creative  force  in  all  nature  and  the  destructive 
agent  also.  The  Brahminical  Siva  who  is  both  destroyer 
and  reproducer  is  a  symbol  of  divine  electricity,  this  is  known 
to  deep  students  of  cosmogony. 

When  an  apartment  is  properly  electrified,  conditions 
are  ripe  for  a  manifestation  of  spirit,  just  as  light  streams  in 
through  an  open  window,  but  is  shut  out  by  closed  ones.  We 
bar  the  doors  of  our  minds  against  the  entrance  of  life  by 
follies  and  sins,  and  it  needs  that  errors  should  be  destroyed 
ere  we  can  consciously  participate  in  the  health  which  is 
universally  free  to  all  who  comply  with  the  conditions 
necessary  to  realize  it.  While  the  lady  was  engaged  in  con- 
versation with  the  doctor  (she  was  greatly  refreshed  and 
strengthened  by  this  converse),  Mr.  Templeton  retained  the 
attitude  of  attentive  listener ;  he  had  not  a  word  to  say  and 
could  not  quite  perceive  how  electricity  could  be  the  instrument 
in  accomplishing  the  restoration  of  paralyzed  limbs  when  no 
ostensible  treatment  was  given.  The  explanations  given  by 
Mrs.  Catsleigh  in  her  classes,  which  were  mostly  echoes  of 
Mrs.  Pushing's  theories,  did  not  cover  the  ground  to  his 
mind,  for  both  these  ladies  taught  that  nothing  had  any 
power  to  benefit  or  injure  us  except  as  we  thought  or  believed 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  69 

it  had.  The  terms  universal  mind  and  race  belief  were  used 
to  answer  questions  otherwise  unanswerable,  but  until  a  larger 
idea  was  shown  him,  he  could  never  see  how  belief  started,  or 
how  poisons  ever  became  such  even  in  belief. 

For  the  particular  benefit  of  Mrs.  Macmarcy  (the  lady 
who  had  just  recovered  under  this  mysterious  influence),  Dr. 
Maxwell  took  from  his  desk  a  precious  MS.  given  to  him  by 
Prof,  de  Montmarte,  from  which  he  copied  the  following  for 
her  use. 

"Electricity  is  everywhere  throughout  nature,  and  is  the 
only  life  of  the  world  ;  it  is  the  true  anima  mundi  of  which 
we  read  much  in  the  writings  of  my  sties  ;  while  not  itself  a 
conscious  agent,  it  is  the  perpetual  emanation  from  God  to 
all  degrees  and  grades  of  life,  and  is  the  only  channel  through 
which  Creative  Force  works  to  ultimate  expression.  The 
physical  form  of  man  is  permeated  with  electricity,  or  it  could 
show  no  sign  of  life ;  when  a  derangement  occurs  in  the  flow 
of  the  currents  through  the  system,  disorganization  ensues. 
In  cases  of  paralysis,  an  electric  shock  has  been  received,  and 
after  it,  the  electric  force  has  been  prevented  from  flowing 
freely  or  sufficiently  to  the  parts  affected.  When  one  dis- 
covers  the  exact  cause  of  this  derangement,  it  is  necessary 
to  place  the  patient  in  an  atmosphere  completely  free  from  all 
antagonizing  currents,  and  let  him  rest  there  under  the 
soothing  spell  of  the  recreative  influence. 

"  Mind  is  inter-communicative  on  all  planes  of  expression, 
and  as  no  soul  perishes  during  its  transit  through  the  various 
states  it  successively  enters,  it  is  possible  to  introduce  friends 
into  the  presence  of  those  they  specially  love,  by  establishing 
mental  telegraphy.  Harmony  in  thought  is  imperatively 
necessary,  without  it  no  worthy  results  can  be  achieved; 
mental  discord  would  result  in  greatly  intensifying  the 
ailment." 

This  and  much  more,  the  doctor  read  in  a  clear,  well- 
modulated  tone  to  his  delighted  and  much  affected  auditors ; 
when  he  had  closed  the  roll  and  returned  it  to  his  desk, 


70  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

Mrs.  Macmarcy  said,  "I'm  very  hungry,  may  I  eat  some- 
thing?" 

From  a  closet  in  which  he  kept  the  few  very  simple  but 
immensely  powerful  medicines  he  employed  in  his  practice  as 
a  physician,  he  handed  her  a  glass  of  what  looked  like  ordi- 
nary wine,  but  was  very  different,  though  made  freshly  every 
morning  in  his  own  kitchen,  from  the  juices  of  choice  fruit; 
this  she  eagerly  drank  and  felt  satisfied.  At  6  o'clock  she 
joined  the  family  at  dinner,  and  no  restrictions  were  placed 
upon  her  quite  considerable  appetite. 

The  evening  passed  pleasantly  in  music  and  deep  conver- 
sation till  10  o'clock,  when  Mrs.  Macmarcy  was  informed  that 
her  room  was  ready  and  she  must  consign  herself  to  the  care 
of  Mrs.  Finchley,  for  whom  she  had  already  conceived  a  warm 
attachment.  Mrs.  Finchley  conducted  her  to  a  pleasant 
chamber  next  her  own,  where  a  bath  was  in  readiness ;  then 
after  bidding  her  a  sweet  good-night,  and  telling  her  to  get 
into  bed  immediately  after  bathing,  left  her  with  a  few  kind 
words  of  assurance  and  heartfelt  blessing  to  enjoy  a  truly 
refreshing  slumber. 

Though  usually  a  very  light  sleeper,  and  of  late  aubject 
to  much  pain  at  night ;  notwithstanding  the  excited,  though 
happy  mental  condition  she  was  in,  she  fell  asleep  as  soon  as 
her  head  touched  the  pillow,  not  to  awake  till  high  noon  on 
the  following  day,  when  she  found  the  sun  shining  brightly 
into  the  cozy  apartment,  beautiful  flowers  and  luscious  fruit 
on  a  table  beside  her,  and  Mrs.  Finchley  entering  with  steam- 
ing chocolate,  delicious  rolls  and  fresh  dairy  butter. 

"  Oh,  how  well  I  feel !"  she  exclaimed,  as  her  hostess 
deposited  the  tray  and  embraced  her.  "I  have  not  only 
slept  soundly  all  these  hours,  but  have  had  a  lovely  vision.  I 
must  tell  you  about  it ;  it  was  so  heavenly,  so  sweet,  so  grand ! 
I  feel  as  though  I  could  never  doubt  anything  again." 

"  Well,"  replied  Mrs.  Finchley,  "  you  must  take  your 
breakfast  now,  and  then  come  down  to  the  library  and  tell  us 
all ;  we  are  quite  united  in  this  house,  and  though  some  of 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  71 

our  guests  haven't  had  our  experiences,  they  are  very  anxious 
to  receive  light  on  all  topics." 

"  Oh,  I'll  tell  them  all  if  you  wish,  but  it's  some  of  it  so 
strange  I  want  to  tell  you  first,  then  I  can  take  your  advice 
afterward." 

"  Will  it  astonish  you  very  much  to  know  that  both  the 
doctor  and  I  know  all  about  your  dream,  indeed  we  are  cer- 
tain it  was  not  an  ordinary  dream  at  all,  but  a  veritable 
vision.  Now,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  you  first  went  to 
Paris  and  then  to  Heaven.  You  were  introduced  first  to 
friends  yet  living,  who  assisted  at  your  restoration  yesterday, 
though  you  cannot  quite  understand  how  3,000  miles  is  no 
obstacle  to  a  doctor's  treatment  of  his  patients ;  then  you  saw 
your  son  again,  and  he  and  you  went  together  to  those  bright 
realms  of  light  for  which  he  ia  now  being  prepared.  You 
went  with  him  beyond  the  orbit  of  this  planet  and  saw  a  star 
which  in  your  childhood  always  fascinated  you,  and  there  you 
learned  much  you  could  not  learn  from  any  books  you  have 
read  or  sermons  to  which  you  have  listened." 

The  astonishment  depicted  on  Mrs.  Macmarcy's  coun- 
tenance can  be  better  imagined  than  described;  she  could 
not  perceive  how  other  persons  could  be  familiar  with  her 
dream,  for  was  not  her  vision  mere  imagination,  a  result  of 
highly  wrought  nerves  ? 

Perceiving  her  thought,  Mrs.  Finchley  answered  by 
positively  reiterating  what  she  had  previously  affirmed,  viz.: 
that  this  vision  was  an  actual  experience,  and  one  withal 
vastly  more  real  than  are  the  transitory  experiences  of  our 
waking  hours,  when  dresses,  bonnets,  calls  and  dinners 
occupy  so  much  of  the  feminine  mind,  while  business  cares 
absorb  the  masculine.  Explaining  much  of  the  law  which 
governs  the  interaction  of  minds  in  natural  sympathy,  she 
taught  her  willing,  eager  pupil  a  great  deal  in  a  short  time 
concerning  why  in  one  case  a  doctor  will  be  supereminently 
successful  and  in  another  similar  instance  ignominiously 
defeated  after  all  his  best  endeavors;  this  is  regulated 


72  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

entirely  by  natural  affinities  which  material  science  unaided 
can  never  explain.  "Mrs.  Macmarcy,"  she  exclaimed,  speak- 
ing with  singular  impressiveness,  "  you  have  been  led  here  by 
Azoriel,  whom  you  saw  in  your  vision,  and  who  conducted  you 
in  your  starry  journey.  Tour  son  could  never  have  scaled 
those  heights  had  it  not  been  that  he  was  led  on  and  borne 
up  by  this  most  glorious  angel,  who  is  at  this  time  revisiting 
the  earth  to  teach  its  inhabitants  what  ancient  sages  knew 
right  well.  In  a  few  days  (you  must  remain  here  ten  at 
least),  you  will  be  strong  enough  to  interpret  for  yourself  the 
shining  courses  of  the  stars,  and  then  those  astrological 
predictions  made  to  you  in  London  seven  years  ago  which 
have  greatly  harrassed  you,  will  be  interpreted  by  a  higher 
law  than  that  known  to  the  old  man  with  the  lizards  in  the 
bottle  on  his  writing  table  in  Princess  Street. "  Here  was 
another  allusion  to  her  private  experiences  by  a  stranger ; 
that  visit  to  the  astrologer  she  had  never  divulged  except 
once  to  a  priest  in  the  confessional,  who  had  told  her  never 
again  to  dabble  in  such  mummeries ;  and  here  in  New  York, 
a  woman  whom  she  never  saw  till  the  day  before,  knew  all 
about  it.  Truly,  the  ways  of  mind  are  marvellous,  and  the 
agnostic  is  at  best  but  a  sorry  dunce  with  all  his  boasted 
learning. 


CHAPTER   VL 

A   TRIP   TO   SIRIUS. 


"  Oh,  when  shall  this  dense  vail  remove, 

And  we  behold  the  realms  of  day; 
Oh,  when  shall  these  dull  senses  prove, 

No  obstacles  upon  our  way; 
Oh,  when  shall  matter  cease  to  bind, 

And  earthly  limits  all  depart, 
Oh,  when  shall  kindred  spirits  find. 

True  unison  of  mind  and  heart? 

We  know  not  fully  here  below, 
Our  souls  are  yet  in  fetters  bound, 

Yet  sometimes  we  can  through  a  rift 
Within  the  vail,  the  more  profound 

And  glorious  wonders  of  our  life, 
Discern,  to  lull  to  rest  our  strife." 


,  Mrs.  Macmarcy  partook  of  her  lunch  and  felt  quite 
strong  enough  after  it  to  accompany  Mrs.  Finchley  to  Dr. 
Maxwell's  study,  where  all  the  house  party  was  assembled  to 
listen  to  her  extraordinary  narrative.  As  we  have  already 
stated,  neither  the  doctor  nor  his  aunt  were  in  ignorance  of 
the  nature,  or  even  of  the  details  of  her  experience,  for  being 
themselves  in  the  closest  sympathy  with  the  intelligences  who 
were  instrumental  in  her  restoration  to  health,  and  knowing 
how  true  it  is  that  kindred  minds  communicate  in  sleep,  they 
had  no  difficulty  in  following  the  progress  of  her  spirit  out  of 
the  darkness  of  affliction  into  the  light  of  joy.  Mr.  Temple- 
ton  and  the  O'Shannons  were  not  thus  privileged,  to  them  there- 


74  ONESIMU8    TEMPLETON 

fore,  the  recital  of  her  vision  was  a  stupendous  and  unlocked 
for  revelation. 

Feeling  the  great  and  marvellous  import  of  this  event 
most  keenly,  Mrs.  Macmarcy  unconciously  adopted  the  air  of 
a  person  making  an  important  deposition  while  she  told  her 
story,  which  ran  as  follows  : 

No  sooner  had  I  laid  my  head  upon  my  pillow,  than  I 
felt  conscious  of  a  subtle,  but  most  delightful  and  intensely 
powerful  presence  beside  me;  no  word  but  presence  would 
convey  my  meaning.  I  saw  nothing,  neither  did  I  hear  any- 
thing, my  senses  of  taste  and  smell  were  not  appealed  to,  1 
was  conscious  of  only  one  sense, feeling.  I  felt  I  was  not  alone, 
still  I  could  not  attribute  this  feeling  of  companionship  to  the 
idea  that  any  other  person  was  occupying  the  apartment  with 
me.  In  this  sense  of  a  lovely,  yet  utterly  undefin able  presence 
with  me  I  fell  asleep;  a  delicious  feeling  of  perfect  rest  stole 
over  me,  such  as  I  had  never  felt  in  any  such  degree  of  full- 
ness since  my  girlish  days.  As  soon  as  I  was  asleep,  and  I 
was  most  vividly  conscious  of  going  to  sleep,  i.  e.,  of  passing 
from  an  outer  to  an  inner  state  of  conciousness, — I  saw  a  bright, 
handsome  young  woman  approaching  me;  I  could  not  feel 
that  she  was  one  who  had  severed  her  connection  with  the 
physical  body,  for  I  perceived  what  looked  to  me  like  a  lum- 
inous cord  of  light,  very  slender,  white  and  fleecy,  connecting 
her  with  a  form  exactly  like  herself,  lying  in  profound  repose, 
in  a  luxurious  bed  in  a  beautiful  room. 

"  The  location  of  the  house  in  which  the  form  was  sleep- 
ing, I  could  not  define,  as  I  had  no  sight  whatever  of  anything 
but  that  particular  apartment.  The  radiant  figure,  who  ap- 
proached me  with  a  graceful  and  tender  smile,  put  both  her 
hands  on  my  shoulders  and  said  to  me  in  pure,  strong  tones : 
'You  are  well  now,  Harriet,  and  you  know  it ;  never  again  will 
you  suffer  as  you  have  done  for  the  past  few  years,  which 
seemed  so  long  and  weary  to  you,  unless  you  return  to  your 
old  sad  habit  of  grieving  over  the  loss  of  your  son's  body 
You  have  seen  dear  Gregoire  and  you  can  see  him  now  con- 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  75 

stantly;  but  this  is  a  privilege  you  can  enjoy  only  so  long  as 
you  do  not  mourn  a  fleshly  loss  and  keep  the  eyes  of  your 
affection  centered  on  immortal  being.' 

"  Having  delivered  herself  of  this  message,  she  beckoned 
me  to  follow  her  to  a  most  charming  spot,  a  little  distance 
from  where  we  were  standing.  At  that  point  I  perceived  a 
boat,  something  after  the  fashion  of  a  Venetian  gondola,  but 
seeing  no  water  in  the  neighborhood  I  wondered  of  what  use 
a  boat  could  be  in  such  a  place.  Almost  instantly  this  beau- 
tiful young  lady  (whom  I  know  now  is  your  friend  Heloise), 
assisted  me  into  it  and  as  soon  as  she  had  taken  her  seat  be- 
side me,  it  began  to  rise  and  float  through  the  air  as  though 
conducted  by  some  skillful  serial  gondolier.  Swifter  and  ever 
swifter  grew  the  flight  of  this  amazing  vehicle.  In  it  we 
seemed  to  pass  cities  and  even  countries  in  moments  of  time, 
compassing  distances  almost  with  the  rapidity  of  thought, 
I  felt  a  novel  sensation  of  wonder  steal  over  me,but  I  was  not  the 
least  afraid.  Suddenly  the  boat  stopped  and  we  alighted  on  the 
summit  of  a  lofty  mountain,  from  whose  height  we  could  look 
down  upon  the  Earth  and  see  it  revolving  in  its  orbit,  a  small 
ball  enveloped  in  a  dark,  murky  atmosphere,  through  which  it 
seemed  impossible  any  great  light  could  penetrate.  Other 
planets  were  also  discern  able,  some  of  them  far  brighter  but 
none  darker  than  the  earth;  their  moons  were  like  fire-flies  in 
attendance  on  them,  BO  small  did  their  satellites  appear.  I 
still  felt  no  sense  of  fear,  only  an  intense  feeling  of  release,  as 
though  I  had  suddenly  gained  full  deliverance  from  every 
yoke  of  bondage  that  had  ever  oppressed  me. 

"  No  bird  could  feel  freer  than  I,  when  with  my  graceful 
companion  at  my  side,  I  sat  on  that  heavenly  hill-top  and 
watched  planetary  revolutions  with  the  deep  enquiring  inter- 
est I  had  always  felt  when  an  opportunity  was  afforded  me  in 
my  youth  to  look  at  the  stars  on  a  clear  night  from  a  hill-top 
in  the  neighborhood  of  my  old  Irish  home.  It  suddenly  oc- 
curred to  me  to  ask,  where  are  we  ?  But  before  the  words 


76  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

were  fairly  framed  in  my  mind,  an  answer  came  from  the  lips 
of  my  companion. 

" c  On  Sirius;  you  know  how  you  always  admired  the 
"  dog  star "  when  you  were  little,  and  asked  whether  your 
little  pet  doggie,  who  was  run  over  in  Dublin  over  forty  years 
ago  had  gone  there;  and  how  you  cried  when  a  priest  told 
you  dogs  had  no  souls  and  you  must  not  ask  such  questions 
This  beautiful  world  where  we  now  are,  is  peopled  with  be- 
ings whose  forms  are  so  radiant  and  ethereal  that  you  cannot 
see  them  though  they  are  all  about  you.  Azoriel,  my  guard- 
ian, is  a  ruler  here,  and  all  the  inhabitants  love  him;  He  is  so 
great  and  good  that  he  rules  entirely  by  kindness,  and  yet 
were  injustice  done  to  any,  he  would  be  so  terrible  to  the  evil 
doer,  that  the  sinner  would  wither  beneath  his  glance,  though 
he  would  never  in  anger  reproach  or  condemn  him.'  While 
she  was  speaking  thus  to  me  I  felt  again,  though  in  much 
stronger  degree,  that  sense  of  &  presence  with  me  which  I  had 
felt  before  sleeping;  this  time,  however,  the  feeling  was  ac- 
companied with  the  sound  of  sweet  music.  Some  one  was 
singing,  perfectly,  but  I  could  not  discern  a  syllable  of  what 
he  sang.  I  knew  instantly  that  the  song  was  a  speech  delivered 
to  Heloise  and  thought  it  contained  references  to  myself.  As 
the  angel  was  addressing  her,  her  beautiful  face  lighted  up  with 
dazzling,  rapturous  delight;  she  appeared  as  though  she  might 
be  his  bride  or  sister,  so  nearly  did  the  two  resemble  each 
other,  as  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  singer's  most  glorious 
countenance. 

"  As  soon  as  the  song  ceased  and  the  rapt  expression  of 
ecstasy  left  her  still  smiling  and  exalted  brow,  I  asked  who 
the  celestial  visitor  might  be,  who  thus  addressed  her  as  an 
equal  in  a  language  she  could  certainly  understand  though  it 
was  utterly  unintelligible  to  me.  She  hastened  to  correct  me 
for  speaking  of  her  as  the  equal  of  this,  her  glorious  master, 
as  she  styled  him,  and  assured  me  she  was  only  his  devoted 
but  very  humble  and  ignorant  pupil.  He,  however,  evidently 
took  no  such  view  of  her,  for  the  -words  had  scarcely  left  her 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  77 

lips  when  I  heard  the  melodious  tones  of  the  enchanting  song 
again,  and  this  time  Heloise  looked  down  and  buried  her  face 
in  her  lily  hands.  I  understood  the  purport  of  his  words ;  he 
styled  her  his  soul-mate,  a  radiant  being  from  a  higher  world, 
imprisoned  for  a  brief  term  in  a  lovely  earthly  body,  not  to 
suffer  as  an  expiation  for  crimes  committed  on  another  orb, 
but  to  live  a  sweet,  happy  life,  joyous  and  free  as  a  butterfly's, 
for  the  sake  of  souls  on  earth  who  could  be  uplifted  only 
through  her  sojourn  among  them. 

"  As  I  listened  spell-bound  to  this  discourse  and  wondered 
why  I  should  have  been  chosen  to  listen  to  such  wondrous 
tales  and  privileged  to  enjoy  such  association,  I  ventured  to 
ask  of  Azoriel,  '  Have  you  a  blessing  for  my  Gregoire,  I  ask 
nothing  for  myself ;  he  was  cut  down  in  the  flower  of  his 
youth,  while  life  was  very  sweet  to  him.  I  saw  him  yesterday, 
but  though  his  eyes  beamed  very  tenderly  on  me  he  did  not 
shine  like  you  or  Heloise.  I  would  suffer  anything  if  I  could 
help  him  higher.  Oh,  can  you  show  me  any  way  that  I  can 
help  him,  even  though  I  am  tortured  to  subserve  his  gain  ? ' 

"  The  face  of  Azoriel  then  turned  toward  me,  and  I  be- 
held a  countenance  so  lovely,  so  divine,  that  I  could  have  be- 
lieved it  to  have  been  the  Lord's,  only  there  were  no  prints 
upon  his  brow. 

"  *  Daughter  of  a  fallen  star,  though  thou  art,'  he  said  to 
me,  '  such  sentiments  are  worthy  of  the  blessed  ones  who 
never  left  the  path  of  virtue  to  tread  the  by-paths  of  disobe- 
dience to  heaven ;  to  this  request  thou  shalt  obtain  an  an- 
swer, Light  divine  shall  henceforth  enable  thee  to  work  with 
Gregoire  in  the  establishment  of  the  first  true  college  of  the 
soul  which  in  this  materialistic  generation  has  been  established 
upon  earth ;  and  as  thou  art  now  refined  from  the  debasing 
dross  of  self  seeking  love,  thou  needst  not  suffer  more  as  thou 
hast  suffered  in  the  past ;  I  was  with  thee  yesterday  when 
thou  wert  hovering  'twixt  life  and  death  in  a  strange  electric 
trance  ?  I  saw  your  need  and  your  sincerity,  and  as  I  am  one 
of  those  commissioned  now  to  rehabilitate  the  earth  with 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

something  of  its  golden  aura  of  pristine  light  ere  yet  its  people 
fell  from  Arcadian  innocence  into  the  mire  of  selfishness  and 
its  resultant  pain,  I  lifted  you  from  your  low  estate,  not  to 
save  you  simply  from  a  further  discipline  of  pain  from  which 
you  merited  release,  but  to  call  you  out  among  the  few  faith- 
ful workers  who  shall  dispense  the  bread  of  life  to  the  hun- 
gering multitudes  who  yearn  for  what,  alas,  the  churches  do 
not  and  the  schools  cannot  give  them.  I  was  on  earth  in  ages 
past ;  I  dwelt  where  now  the  deep,  dark  waters  of  the  Atlan- 
tic roll,  when  Atlantis  was  fair  and  young,  ere  her  people  fell 
a  prey  to  wanton  pride  which  compassed  their  destruction; 
I  trod  with  glee  the  hills  and  vales  of  the  Pacific  slope,  when 
peaceful  nations  rose  to  heights  of  bliss  almost  forgotten 
now,  a  district  where  at  this  day  a  new  race  is  forming  and 
the  god  of  gold  is  contending  with  heavenly  troops  for  mas- 
tery. But  thou  art  weak,  as  yet,  my  child,  and  canst  not  bear 
too  long  a  severance  from  the  material  robe  in  which  thou  for 
many  years  to  come,  as  men  count  time,  must  work  for  earth's 
emancipation.  I  will  now  grant  thy  request ;  I  cannot  bring 
Gregoire  here;  he  is  not  ready  to  breathe  the  air  of  this 
bright  star  which  thou  canst  breathe  freely,  for  thou  hast 
suffered  and  borne  thy  purgation  on  earth.  I  will  take  thee 
to  him,  and  where  he  is  thou  wilt  learn  more  of  thy  heaven- 
born  mission.  You  will  not  see  me  again  during  this  jour- 
ney ;  Heloise  is  thine  escort  visibly ;  I  am  thine  unseen  guard- 
ian; fare  thee  well  and  call  on  me  whenever  thou  art  in 
trouble.' 

"The  angel  had  no  sooner  ceased  speaking  than  I  real- 
ized that  I  was  passing  down  what  seemed  a  steep  declivity, 
supported  by  Heloise,  upon  whose  arm  I  leaned  heavily,  but 
tenderly.  Following,  as  though  by  instinct,  every  movement 
of  her  will,  I  soon  came  to  a  place  where  at  first  I  could  see 
nothing ;  presently  the  idea  of  a  military  encampment  came 
to  me,  and  there,  surrounded  by  comrades  in  arms,  I  saw  my 
beloved  Gregoire.  At  first  he  did  not  seem  to  see  me,  but  as 
my  mother  love  penetrated  the  atmosphere  around  him,  as 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

sunshine  dispels  a  fog,  he  turned  to  me  quickly  with  a  sudden 
flush  of  glad  recognition,  and  smiling  sweetly  upon  me,  said  : 

" '  Your  prayers,  dear  mother,  have  always  reached  me. 
Whenever  you  have  thought  of  me  I  have  felt  it ;  but  oh,  this 
visit  from  yourself  in  person  is  more  than  I  dared  to  expect. 
According  to  the  canon  of  your  church  you  have  thought  of 
me  in  purgatory,  though  you  have  tried  to  believe  I  had  ere 
this  entered  paradise ;  but,  mother,  I  was  no.t  the  pure,  unsel- 
fish boy  you  thought  me.  I  loved  you  purely  and  unselfishly, 
and  sincere  love  for  any  creature,  if  that  love  is  not  quite 
overgrown  with  foul  weeds  of  selfishness,  is  a  base  on  which 
angels  build  when  they  seek  to  renew  our  characters.  I  was 
restless  and  unhappy  when  I  left  the  body,  for  I  clung  to 
earthly  things  with  a  vigorous  and  desperate  hold,  and  it  was 
only  after  bitter  disappointments  and  much  conflict,  I  gained 
the  measure  of  peace  and  satisfaction  I  now  enjoy.  People 
make  a  mystery  of  the  life  beyond  the  grave ;  they  weave 
complicated  webs  of  fancy,  and  indulge  in  many  unfounded 
speculations,  but  in  fact  the  whole  question  is  decided  by  the 
nature  and  object  of  a  man's  affections.  I  am  the  same  im- 
pulsive lad  I  was  on  earth,  a  little  sobered  and  subdued,  and 
I  hope  a  little  wiser  than  when  we  shared  a  dear  old  home  in 
days  gone  by.* 

"  Much  of  his  narrative  I  cannot  tell ;  it  was  too  sacred, 
too  personal  even  to  be  mentioned  to  you,  my  dear  and  valued 
friends ;  but  I  was  assured  by  Heloise  that  you,  Dr.  Maxwell, 
and  dear  Mrs.  Finchley,  who  has  been  like  a  mother  to  me, 
knew  all  about  it,  as  you  had  followed  me  in  my  wanderings, 
and  learned  how  Heloise,  whom  I  should  never  h  ave  known 
but  for  you,  escorted  me  through  space  and  took  me  to  my 
son.  I  cannot  enter  more  freely  into  details ;  the  endeavor  to 
reproduce  all  I  saw  is  quite  beyond  me,  but  I  was  assured  I 
should  soon  have  other  experiences  which  I  may  fully  remem- 
ber and  recite,  and  even  publish  for  the  benefit  of  others." 

When  Mrs.  Macmarcy  had  ceased  speaking,  Mr.  Temple- 
ton  enquired  how  such  experiences  in  the  invisible  world 


80  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

were  reconcilable  with  scripture,  and  how  a  minister  of  the 
gospel  could  possibly  accept  such  doctrine  a'nd  continue  to 
perform  his  duties  to  his  flock. 

"  Our  church,"  said  he,  "  teaches  most  emphatically  that 
there  is  no  such  intermediate  state  as  you  describe.  We  can 
accept  paradise  but  not  purgatory,  and  does  it  not  interfere 
with  accepting  the  finished  work  of  Christ  to  imagine  a  place 
of  probation  beyond  the  tomb?  I  do  not  say  that  I  myself 
am  loth  to  credit  your  statement  as  actually  true  and  not 
merely  a  vivid  dream;  I  have  thought  of  these  matters  frequently 
and  have  read  Dorner  and  other  German  theologians  who  favor 
what  is  called  'second  probation,'  and  now  I  am  in  New  York 
at  Dr.  Maxwell's  kind  request,  for  the  express  purpose  of  re- 
ceiving what  light  I  can  on  all  these  matters,  I  beg  of  you  all 
to  let  me  hear  all  you  have  to  tell,  whatever  it  may  be.  In  all 
humility  I  can  faithfully  declare  I  am  a  seeker  after  truth,  and 
though  I  may  have  to  relinquish  my  prospects  and  take  a  fresh 
start  in  life,  I  am  willing  to  make  any  sacrifice  or  change  if  I 
can  but  be  sure  I  am  being  guided  to  lead  souls  to  God,  not 
away  from  Him." 

Mrs.  Macmarcy,  who  was  quite  a  novice  in  all  such  mat- 
ters herself,  and  had  trembled  lest  she  should  overstep  the 
boundaries  of  her  own  previous  belief,  sympathized  heartily 
with  the  Baptist  minister,  but  could  help  him  no  further  than 
by  assuring  him  she  knew  inwardly  that  all  she  related  was 
actually  true.  The  strong  corroborative  testimony  of  two  such 
thoroughly  trustworthy  persons  as  Dr.  Maxwell  and  his  aunt, 
in  addition  to  her  own  sense  of  certainty  within,  had  dis- 
solved her  doubts,  as  the  sun  melts  an  iceberg  or  dissipates 
a  fog,  and  she  was  now  ready  to  devote  herself  in  future  en- 
tirely to  the  discovery  and  promulgation  of  such  truth  as 

might  be  revealed  to  her. 

******* 

Ten  days  later  she  was  perfectly  strong,  and  had  gained 
twenty  pounds  in  weight ;  she  then  returned  to  her  home  in 
Virginia,  where  she  intended  founding  an  orphan  school  for 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  81 

delicate  girls  who  might  enjoy  the  comforts  and  attention 
attainable  only  in  a  well  regulated  home,  as  well  as  the  ben- 
efits of  a  sound,  moral  and  secular  education.  In  this  en- 
terprise she  was  warmly  seconded  by  friends  of  Dr.  Maxwell 
and  Mrs.  Finchley,  and  soon  became  a  robust,  hearty  woman, 
the  center  of  a  thriving  community  of  growing  girls,  devel- 
oping not  only  in  physical  grace  and  vigor,  but  in  what  is 
far  more  important  still,  true  womanhood  which  fits  its  pos- 
sessor for  usefulness  on  earth  and  indescribable  blessedness 
hereafter. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


CLAIRVOYANCE  DEMONSTRATED. 

"  They  told  me  many  wondrous  tales, 

Of  how  the  angels  come  to  earth 
Swift,  as  on  "wings  of  living  flame, 

To  quicken  nobler  thought  to  birth. 
I  could  not  understand  the  thread 

Of  such  discourse,  until  I  saw 
Before  my  very  eyes  the  proof 

Of  Heaven's  divine  mysterious  law. 
Why  should  I  harbor  any  doubt, 

Or  wherefore  should  I  suffer  dread; 
Why  is  it  not  enough  for  me 

To  be  by  such  wise  counsel  led  ?  " 


Mrs.  Macmarcy's  narration  of  her  vision  had  led  Mr.Tem- 
pleton  into  one  of  those  strange  reveries  of  his,  which  though 
of  every  rare  occur ence,  had  from  early  childhood  largely 
shaped  the  current  of  his  life.  Often  when  a  boy  he  had  been 
the  subject  of  strange  experiences,  which  he  dared  no  longer 
relate  to  his  austere  parents  after  they  had  sent  him  several 
nights  in  succession  lunchless  to  school  and  supperless  to  bed. 
As  it  often  happens  with  children  of  sensitive  temperament 
who  can  take  an  outward  or  an  inward  interest  in  life  as  oc- 
casion demands,  the  youthful  Onesimus  finding  his  spiritual 
experiences  distasteful  to  his  relatives,  (who  attributed  them 
to  the  devil,  insanity  or  disease  according  to  their  moods),  soon 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  83 

learned  to  agree  with  his  surroundings  and  to  refuse  all  in 
vitation  from  the  unseen  to  carve  out  a  special  environment  for 
himself.  Neither  reinarbably  profound  or  superficial  in  his 
conclusions,  he  simply  addressed  himself  to  his  tasks  with  the 
feeling  that  if  God  called  him  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  God 
would  qualify  him  in  some  special  manner  for  the  work. 

Mrs.  Margaret  Lesbia  Templeton  (his  mother),  became  a 
widow  when  he  was  only  seven  years  old.  His  father,  the  Rev. 
Aaron  Edwards  Templeton,  had  been  pastor  of  the  Saddlerock 
Baptist  Church  for  nineteen  years;  his  wife  married  him  three 
years  before  the  birth  of  their  only  son.  After  the  good  minis- 
ter had  resisted  for  nine  years  all  the  efforts  of  match-making 
mothers  and  aspiring  farmers'  daughters  to  induce  him  to 
enter  the  matrimonial  estate,  Lesbia  Mintsheller  had  visited 
Saddlerock  one  summer  with  an  invalid  mother  who  died 
while  on  a  visit  to  the  place.  Immediately  after  the  funeral 
Mr.  Templeton  discovered  her  penniless  condition  and  utter 
inability  to  sustain  herself  when  left  entirely  to  her  own  re- 
sources ;  but  he  did  not  realize  how  devotedly  he  loved  her, 
until  one  day  after  he  had  undertaken  to  provide  for  her  sup- 
port in  the  family  of  an  old  and  valued  parishioner,  who  had 
known  him  from  babyhood,  with  such  delicacy  thatpoor  heart- 
broken Lesbia  Mintsheller  thought  God  hadindeed  sent  good 
Samaritans  to  her  in  the  persons  of  Deacon  and  Mrs.  Haggai 
Ezekiel  Macpherson-Smith, — he  found  her  weeping  over  her 
Bible,  tears  in  which  resignation,  sorrow,  regret,  faith  and 
hope  were  all  blended  like  the  hues  of  the  rainbow. 

Mrs.  Macpherson-Smith  touched  him  lightly  on  the 
shoulder,  whispering  "  Aaron  my  lad,  there  is  the  wife  heaven 
has  sent  you,  as  God  sent  Rebekah  to  Jacob,  only  it  won't  be 
fourteen  years,  or  seven  either  before  you  can  make  the  par- 
sonage what  it  ought  to  be." 

The  good  man  was  then  just  thirty-four  years  of  age  and 
though  still  in  early  manhood  had  become  settled  in  bachelor 
habits.  His  elder  sister,  Sophronia  Angelica,  a  firm  maiden 
lady,  kept  house  for  him  and  never  touched  his  papers  or 


84  ^  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

thought  of  entering  his  library  without  his  special  permission. 
His  ways  were  all  regulated  with  mathematical  precision,  and 
from  the  straight-line  of  this  uncompromising  rigidity  no 
deviation  was  ever  permitted.  One  can  imagine  how  such  a 
person  who  had  positively  shunned  marriage,  and  was  inclined 
to  a  view  of  the  celibacy  of  the  clergy  most  uncommon  among 
evangelical  Protestants,  would  start  at  such  words  from  the 
lips  of  a  staid  old  deaconess,  about  as  unworldly  an  old  soul 
as  one  would  be  likely  to  meet  in  a  journey  around  the  world. 
With  characteristic  terseness  and  brevity,  he  said,  "  God's  will 
be  done, "if  the  Lord  has  sent  me  to  her;  or,  rather  directed 
her  to  me,  it  is  not  for  his  dust  to  question  his  decree. 

He  always  alluded  to  himself  as  God's  dust,  it  was  a  very 
favorite  expression  of  his  in  the  long  prayer  at  every  public 
service.  The  congregation  would  have  felt  that  some  familiar 
and  beloved  portion  of  their  liturgy  had  been  omitted  had 
they  not  heard  the  phrase,  "bless  thy  dust,"  which  always 
came  after  a  list  of  petitions  for  all  sorts  and  conditions  of 
people.  Mr.  Templeton  put  himself  last  and  styled  himself 
dust  in  all  sincerity,  for  he  was  really  a  very  self-abnegating 
man,  and  when  his  old  friend  told  him  God  had  ordained  that 
he  should  marry  Lesbia,  his  first  thought  was  only  one  of 
complete  surrender  to  whatever  might  be  the  inscrutable  pur- 
pose of  the  Almighty ;  his  second  emotion  was  however  of  a 
very  different  nature.  The  love  which  had  slumbered  but 
never  awoke,  now  asserted  itself  with  all  the  intenser  fervor  by 
reason  of  its  long  repression,  and  when  Lesbia  rose  from  her 
absorbed  attitude,  and  turned  to  greet  the  minister  with 
watery  eyes  which  tried  to  smile,  his  pressure  of  her  hand  was 
not  the  same  as  it  had  been  before.  She  felt  the  change  in  his 
touch  and  he  ackowledged  the  involuntary,  almost  unconscious 
response  of  her  soul  to  his.  The  proposal  was  soon  made, 
and  a  mutual  declaration  of  love  was  speedily  followed  by  a 
very  quiet  marriage. 

Mrs.  Templeton  took  up  her  abode  as  mistress  of  the  par- 
sonage, to  the  surprise  of  every  one,  it  is  true ;  but  so  quietly 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  85 

and  naturally,  that  even  the  most  voracious  gossips  found  very 
little  to  talk  about.  She  was  soon  universally  respected  and 
beloved,  as  she  was  her  husband's  companion  and  helpmeet  in 
all  things;  a  very  quiet,  subdued  minister's  wife,  whom  no 
one  dared  to  approach  with  scandal;  one  of  whom  some  stood 
in  fear,  not  on  account  of  her  imposing  manner  or  command- 
ing voice  (she  was  gentleness  personified),  but  by  reason  of 
the  perfectly  frank  gaze  of  her  modest  grey  eyes,  which 
seemed  to  see  through  imposture,  and  her  inveterate  hatred 
of  gossip.  She  was  a  woman  of  comparatively  few  words;  her 
parents  had  both  been  Baptists ;  she  had  joined  a  church 
when  only  seventeen,  and  was  therefore  fully  prepared  for  the 
work  in  which  she  soon  found  herself  actually  engaged. 

Her  husband,  though  an  excellent  man  and  tenderly  de- 
voted to  his  fragile,  yet  healthy  wife,  was  of  a  stern  tempera- 
ment and  could  not  tolerate  the  slightest  departure  from  the 
creed  of  his  denomination.  His  first  and  last  wish  for  his 
little  son  (Onesimus)  was  that  he  might  be  a  minister,  and  if 
possible,  carry  on  the  work  in  the  very  place  where  he  himself 
had  labored. 

When  Onesimus  was  only  six,  his  father's  health  began  to 
fail — hereditary  pnuemonia,  doctors  and  anxious  friends  pro- 
nounced his  disorder ;  his  voice  became  feeble  and  uncertain ; 
a  minister  from  a  neighboring  village  often  assisted  him  in  his 
duties,  and  at  length  he  resigned  most  reluctantly,  amid  the 
tears  and  prayers  of  the  people  who  never  knew  how  much 
they  valued  him  until  they  felt  he  was  to  be  taken  from  them. 

Two  months  after  his  resignation,  sea  air  having  failed  to 
recruit  his  wasted  energies,  he  passed  from  the  body,  triumph- 
ant in  faith,  singing  in  a  weak,  quavering  voice,  "  Rock  of 
Ages,"  as  the  spirit  severed  its  connection  with  its  earthly 
tenement.  His  last  act  was  to  call  the  little  Onesimus  to  his 
side,  and  blessing  him  fervently,  prayed  that  God  might  in 
cline  his  heart  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  and  direct  his  steps 
to  the  pastorate  of  the  Saddlerock  Baptist  Church.  After  her 
husband's  death,  Mrs.  Templeton  never  fully  recovered  her 


86  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

energies,  she  was  always  plaintive,  but  still  very  useful  in  the 
district.  Though  the  succeeding  pastor,  the  Rev.  Martindale 
Fischer-Bennett  was  a  married  man  with  a  very  energetic 
wife,  they  were  always  good  to  Mrs.  Templeton  and  the  two 
families  decided  to  live  together  for  economy  and  company's 
sake. 

As  Onesimus  grew  up,  he  found  himself  more  under  the 
tutelage  of  the  Fischer-Bennetts  than  under  the  influence  of 
his  mother ;  they  directed  his  studies  and  mapped  out  his 
career ;  his  mother  acquiesced  in  her  usual  quiet  way,  but 
whether  she  fully  endorsed  all  their  opinions,  her  son  never 
knew.  The  Fischer-Bennetts  left  Saddlerock  when  Onesimus 
was  ordained,  and  they  were  not  sorry  to  do  so,  as  they  de- 
parted for  a  larger  and  more  lucrative  field  of  effort.  Mr. 
Templeton  had  lived  alone  with  his  mother  since  his  settle- 
ment over  his  father's  church,  and  it  was  of  her  he  chiefly 
thought  when  the  impending  changes  in  his  course  of  teaching 
came  most  forcibly  to  his  mind. 

While  in  New  York,  in  an  atmosphere  highly  charged 
with  what  might  be  called  a  "  developing  influence,"  the  seer- 
ship  which  his  father  most  sternly  rebuked  and  punished, 
and  his  mother  attributed  to  poor  health  in  childhood,  now 
began  to  reassert  itself  with  more  than  its  original  vigor; 
reminiscenses  of  childhood's  experience  which  before  had 
been  faint,  latent  recollections,  now  returned  with  a  vividness 
he  could  never  have  supposed  possible,  and  these  remem- 
brances crowded  about  him ;  he  called  to  mind  singular  epis- 
odes in  his  mother's  history,  which  convinced  him  that  she 
also  was  a  dreamer  of  dreams  and  beholder  of  visions,  but  had 
refrained  from  all  mention  of  such  things  through  fear  of 
offending  her  husband  during  his  lifetime,  and  afterwards 
from  an  over  sensitive  regard  for  his  memory.  She  was  a 
woman  who  could  never  bring  herself  to  feel  that  a  true  mar- 
riage lasted  only  "until  death  "  and  her  son  had  sometimes 
felt  (though  scarcely  willing  to  admit  the  thought  even  in  the 
privacy  of  his  own  chamber)  that  perhaps  his  fat  her  was  much 


S  TEViPLETON  87 

nearer  to  his  mother,  and  even  capable  of  impressing  her  with 
his  wishes  than  their  fixed  beliefs  permitted  them  to  suppose. 

But  after  all,  however  much  may  be  said  about  churchly 
antagonism  to  spirit  communion,  Christian  literature  of  the 
most  pronounced  orthodox  type  abounds  with  incidents  in 
the  lives  of  foremost  Christian  advocates  abundantly  proving 
how  deep  seated  and  widespread  is  a  belief  in  communion 
with  "  people  from  another  world,"  even  among  those  who  are 
supposed  to  be  very  strenuous  in  their  opposition  to  such  & 
doctrine. 

The  day  after  Mrs.  Macmarcy's  narrative,  while  Mr.  Tem- 
pleton  was  pondering  in  solitude  over  some  of  his  own  ex- 
periences, it  occurred  to  him  to  search  in  Dr.  Maxwell's 
library  for  such  volumes  as  might  help  him  to  ascertain  the 
views  of  some  distinguished  authors  on  the  subject  of  visions 
of  the  departed.  Among  other  testimonies  he  came  across 
the  following : 

"  The  year  just  past,  like  all  other  years,  has  taken  from 
a  thousand  circles  the  sainted,  the  just  and  the  beloved;  there 
are  spots  in  a  thousand  graveyards  which  have  become  this 
year  dearer  than  all  the  living  world ;  but  in  the  loneliness  of 
sorrow  how  cheering  to  think  that  our  lost  ones  are  not  wholly 
gone  from  us !  They  still  may  move  about  in  our  homes,  shed- 
ding around  them  an  atmosphere  of  purity  and  peace,  prompt- 
ings of  good  and  reproofs  of  evil ;  we  are  compassed  about 
with  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  whose  hearts  throb  in  sympathy 
with  every  effort  and  struggle,  and  who  thrill  with  joy  at 
every  success. 

"  How  should  this  thought  check  and  rebuke  every  worldly 
feeling  and  unworthy  purpose,  and  enshrine  us,  in  the  midst 
of  a  forgetful  and  unspiritual  world,  with  an  atmosphere  of 
heavenly  peace !  They  have  overcome,  have  risen,  are  crowned, 
glorified  ;  but  still  they  remain  to  us,  our  assistants,  our  com- 
forts ;  and  in  every  hour  of  darkness  their  voice  speaks  to  us : 
'  So  we  grieved,  so  we  struggled,  so  we  fainted,  so  we  doubted; 
but  we  have  overcome,  we  have  obtained,  we  have  seen  and 


88  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

found  all  true ;  and  in  our  own  heaven  behold  the  certainty 
of  thy  own.' " — HARRIET  BEECHER  STOWE. 

"  I  believe  there  are  angels  of  light,  spirits  of  the  blest, 
ministers  of  God.  .  .  .  There  have  been  times  in  which, 
I  declare  to  you,  heaven  was  more  real  than  earth ;  in  which 
my  children  that  were  gone  spoke  more  plainly  to  me  than 
my  children  that  were  with  me ;  in  which  the  blessed  estate 
of  the  just  man  in  heaven  seemed  more  real  and  near  to  me 
than  the  estate  of  any  just  man  upon  earth.  These  are 
experiences  that  link  one  with  another  and  higher  life." — 
HENEY  W.  BEECHER. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


CLAIRVOYANCE  DEMONSTRATED. 


As  he  continued  reading  and  pondering  over  these  beau- 
tiful words,  culled  from  the  rich,  ripe  experiences  of  two 
remarkably  noble  and  useful  lives,  a  strange  sense  of  reverie 
stole  over  him,  and  out  of  the  deepening  gloom  which  seemed 
to  encircle  him,  shutting  out  the  surrounding  scenery,  a  form 
appeared  so  closely  resembling  his  father  as  to  make  him 
start  suddenly,  yet  carrying  with  it  a  delightful  feeling  of 
ineffable  repose.  Whether  he  was  sleeping,  dozing  or  wide 
awake,  he  could  not  tell,  he  was  certain  however,  that  some 
gentle  pressure  of  the  hand  accompanied  by  the  accents  of  a 
clear,  deep  voice,  impressed  these  words  on  hia  brain,  as 
though  they  had  been  traced  in  letters  of  living  fire : 

"My  son,  let  not  any  doubt  disturb  you  in  your  religious 
trust ;  you  are  now  to  see  truth  far  more  clearly  than  I  saw 
it  when  on  earth.  Old  doctrines  must  be  freshly  interpreted ; 
the  Bible  is  a  mine  containing  precious  ore,  but  it  is  the 
hidden  meaning  not  the  superficial  import  you  must  seek; 
with  the  kernel  of  the  fruit,  not  any  longer  with  its  outer  rind, 
can  you  feed  the  people  committed  to  your  pastoral  care.  I 
was,  as  you  know,  a  strict  adherent  to  literal  forms  when  I 
occupied  the  place  which  now  you  fill ;  people  then  were  not 
prepared  for  what  they  are  ready  to  receive  now;  do  not 
shrink  from  announcing  your  uttermost  conviction,  it  is  yours 
to  thaw  the  ice  around  the  hearts  of  many,  to  break  down 


90  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

lurking,  unsuspected  unbelief  in  the  minds  of  many  who  still 
adhere  to  olden  customs  which  they  cannot  reconcile  with 
modern  views  of  life.  Tour  place  is  not  outside  the  church 
but  in  it ;  you  must  not  cloak  conviction,  neither  may  you  too 
carelessly  offend  the  weak,  as  many  reformers  do.  Move 
cautiously  but  conscientiously ;  enlarge  men's  faith,  do  not 
attack  it ;  broaden  your  sermons,  do  not  attack  prevailing 
dogmas.  Some  little  persecution  awaits  you,  but  the  people 
at  large  will  follow  you,  and  though  some  trials  are  before 
you,  they  are  not  of  a  nature  to  cause  any  stout  heart  alarm. 
Tour  mother  knows  of  what  is  going  on  in  your  secret  mind ; 
she  has  been  a  seeress  many  years,  but  never  avowed  it,  out 
of  regard  for  me,  for  I  used  to  be  very  bitter  against  all  such 
revelations.  Thank  heaven  I  am  wiser  now  than  then.  I 
have  seen  the  folly  and  the  wrong  of  mental  despotism,  and 
had  I  my  life  to  live  over  again  I  would  never  seek  to  cramp 
the  limbs  or  tie  the  wings  of  any  soul.  Tou  will  have  a  letter 
from  your  mother  in  a  day  or  two  confirming  what  I  say  ;  this 
is  an  evidence  I  give  you  of  my  trustworthiness.  This  day 
your  mother  is  inditing  you  an  epistle,  in  which  she  makes 
full  confession  of  her  experiences  from  girlhood;  when  you 
receive  the  letter  you  will  hear  from  me  again.  Now  farewell ; 
you  always  have  my  blessing,  but  I  give  it  you  for  old  associa- 
tion's sake." 

Mr.  Templeton  awoke  suddenly  from  his  reverie  which  had 
lasted  several  hours,  and  as  he  awoke  he  saw  Zenophon,  who 
had  been  an  inmate  of  Dr.  Maxwell's  house  since  the  preceding 
Sunday  night,  glide  swiftly  into  the  room  and  take  a  book 
from  one  of  the  shelves.  Feeling  disposed  to  converse  on  the 
subject  nearest  hia  heart,,  he  stopped  the  boy,  saying  kindly: 

"  Come  here,  Zenophon,  I  want  to  ask  you  something 
about  your  own  life,  about  the  trances  you  go  into  and  the 
visions  you  see.  Do  you  suppose  you  could  see  something  for 
me  ?  I'm  very  anxious  to  get  an  explanation  of  a  singular 
occurrence  which  has  just  impressed  me  deeply." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  sir,"  replied  the  boy.     "  I'll  try, 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  91 

if  you  like ;  I'll  sit  quite  still  and  describe  anything  I  see  if 
anything  is  shown  me;  but  I've  always  been  Count  Kato- 
lowynski's  subject,  and  as  I  have  been  taken  from  him,  I 
don't  know  if  I  have  any  power  left.  I  won't  stay  away  from 
him  long  for  I  love  him  though  he  does  beat  me  sometimes ; 
he  has  never  been  as  kind  to  me  as  all  of  you  here  are,  but  he 
is  my  master  and  I  will  obey  him ;  whenever  he  summons  me 
I  shall  return  to  him.  If  he  comes  here  and  wants  to  take 
me  away,  I  will  go  with  him  wherever  he  chooses." 

No  sooner  had  Zenophon  thus  testified  his  love  for  the 
Count,  who  had  so  singular  a  hold  over  him,  than  a  loud 
double-knock  and  furious  ring  of  the  door-bell  startled  the 
servants  to  their  feet.  Count  Katolowynski,  handsomer  and 
prouder  than  ever  to  all  appearance,  entered  the  study  with  a 
supercilious  nod  to  Mr.  Templeton  and  a  "  so  you  are  here, 
Zenophon,  I  thought  they  hadn't  devoured  you."  Then  divin- 
ing Mr.  Templeton's  wishes  he  instantly  magnetized  the  boy, 
who  became  quickly  prophetic  and  said  to  Mr.  Templeton : 
"  You  will  get  a  letter  from  your  mother  the  day  after  to- 
morrow by  the  early  post."  Zenophon  here  paused  for  a 
moment  and  stood  gazing  earnestly  on  something  no  one  else 
could  see ;  he  then  read  as  from  an  unseen  manuscript  sus- 
pended in  the  air,  the  following  missive : 

"  MY  DEAR  AND  ONLY  SON — It  is  not  often  I  approach  you 
on  a  subject  with  regard  to  which  our  opinions  may  differ,  but 
of  late  I  have  had  most  singular  and  vivid  dreams  of  your 
father.  I  cannot  feel  that  they  are  only  dreams ;  he  visits 
me  night  after  night  and  holds  long  conversations  with 
me,  and  oh,  my  dearest  boy,  you  must  not  be  shocked  when  I 
tell  you  he  argues  with  me  on  theology  just  as  he  used  to,  tak- 
ing difficult  texts,  throwing  light  upon  them  by  comparing 
them  with  others  and  then  winding  up  with  a  short  homily  in 
which  he  clenches  his  argument  and  brings  home  a  lesson.  I 
cannot  be  deluded,  why  should  I  be,  I  have  been  a  faithful 
wife  to  him  and  mother  to  you  according  to  my  lights,  and  the 
scripture  even  when  it  speaks  most  harshly,  never  says  God 


92  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

sends  delusion  or  allows  it  to  come  to  those  who  are  striving 
to  walk  in  His  way.  Oh,  how  I  wish  you  could  enter  into  my 
feelings  and  share  my  experience,  for  my  husband  tells  me  in 
these  visions  you  are  seeking  light  earnestly  but  are  as  yet 
bewildered  concerning  many  things,  you  cannot  plainly  see 
the  way ;  it  is  simple  when  one  finds  it,  it  is  indeed  plain 
enough  for  the  wayfaring  man  to  walk  in  without  stumbling. 
"  You  will  perhaps  call  me  a  Spiritualist  and  even  think 
I  am  getting  crazy,  but  even  for  your  sake,  I  could  not  pretend 
to  deny,  neither  could  I  cloak  the  convictions  which  are  daily 
adding  to  my  joy  in  this  world  and  my  hope  for  the  next.  The 
minister  at  Pinchingtown  is  delivering  a  course  of  lectures  on 
1  Demonology,*  and  as  our  church  is  closed,  a  number  of  our 
people  go  over  there  to  hear  this  Mr.  Mewle,  whom  many  think 
a  fine  preacher,  but  he  grates  on  me.  I  have  been  occasionally 
to  the  little  Catholic  church  at  Shoe  Hill,  and  oftener  for  long, 
solitary  rambles  amcng  the  hills.  You  will  find  me  changed 
when  you  return  home ;  I  have  lost  much  of  my  reserve  and 
I  have  developed  an  insatiate  desire  to  visit  sick  people,  and 
they  all  welcome  me  with  the  brightest  smiles ;  the  priest 
at  St.  Catherine's  tells  me  I  would  make  an  excellent  sister 
of  charity,  and  wants  me  to  enter  the  Convent  of  Our  Lady 
of  Perpetual  Help,  opposite  his  church ;  he  is  a  good,  self- 
denying  man,  but  completely  wrapped  in  a  mantle  of  creed.  I 
tell  him  I  am  no  longer  a  Baptist,  but  I  can  never  be  a  Ro- 
manist; I  must  let  God  speak  to  me  as  He  will,  just  in  Hig 
own  way,  through  all  the  voices  of  nature  and  through  His 
children  who  have  risen  higher.  I  like  the  quiet,  earnest 
work  of  the  Sisters  but  I  cannot  join  an  order  ;  I  shall  never 
be  acceptable  again  as  a  teacher  in  an  "  orthodox  "  Sunday- 
school,  for  I  cannot  disguise  my  convictions.  If  you  are  still 
"  orthodox  "  when  you  return  home  I  shall  be  quite  silent  if  it 
hurts  you  to  hear  me  speak,  but  if,  as  I  trust  and  feel  assured, 
the  same  change  comes  over  you  which  has  come  over  me,  we 
shall  work  together,  not  to  depopulate  the  churches,  but  to 
infuse  new  lift  into  the  service  of  God,  and  to  r«ach  some 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  93 

portion  of  the  great  unchurched  mass  which  can  never  be 
reached  by  prevailing  methods. 

"  Write  to  me  as  soon  as  you  can  after  receiving  this ;  be 
quite  candid  with  me,  don't  try  to  spare  my  feelings  if  you 
think  I  am  misguided,  but  intuition  tells  this  letter  will  be 
welcome  rather  than  distasteful  to  you  in  your  present  mood. 
Kemember  me  kindly  to  the  family  of  your  host,  and  give 
them  my  thanks  for  their  kindness  to  you. 

"As  ever,  your  devoted  mother, 

LESBIA  TEMPLETON. 
"SADDLEROCK,  Vt.,  July  30,  1887." 

After  this  marvelous  display  of  clairvoyance  (the  day 
after  the  morrow  confirmed  it),  Zenophon  awoke  suddenly, 
rubbed  his  eyes,  resumed  his  former  posture  at  Count  Katol- 
owynski's  feet.  When  questioned  as  to  his  marvelous  gift,  de- 
clared he  knew  nothing  whatever  about  anything  that  was 
given  through  him.  After  a  few  minutes'  conversation  Dr. 
Maxwell  and  the  ladies  returned  from  an  afternoon  drive. 
They  were  all  quietly  courteous  to  the  Count,  and  he  was  in- 
vited to  dinner,  but  no  one  of  them  seemed  pleased  to  see  him. 

The  Count  refused  the  invitation,  saying  it  was  his  inten- 
tion to  give  Zenophon  an  evening's  amusement;  they  would 
dine  at  Delmonico's,  then  visit  Madison  Square  Theatre, 
where  "The  Private  Secretary,"  was  being  performed.  After 
the  theatre  they  should  take  ices  and  return  to  the  Hotel 
Meurice,  where  the  Count  rented  a  splendid  suite  of  rooms  on 
the  grand  etage. 

Dr.  Maxwell  quietly  said,  "Zenophon,  remember  your 
home  is  here;  I  shall  expect  you  to-morrow,  if  you  accept 
your  friend's  invitation  to-night.  I  do  not  forbid  your  going 
with  him,  perhaps  I  have  no  right  to  use  so  strong  a  word,  I 
however  disapprove  of  it,  but  act  as  you  please." 

Count  Ratolowynski,  bridling  at  these  words,  said,  "  the 
boy  belongs  to  me,  and  I  shall  hold  him,  though  you  do  want 
him,  for  some  mercenary  schemes  of  your  own.  I  only  let 


94  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

him  remain  with  you  the  past  three  days  to  test  his  loyalty  to 
me.  Say  what  you  will,  do  what  you  will,  he  is  mine  always. 
The  farce  on  Sunday  night  was  one  of  your  contrivances;  it 
was  well  acted ;  but  it  takes  more  than  that  to  scare  a  man  of 
my  nerve,  so  you  had  better  reserve  your  private  theatricals 
for  more  gullible  and  appreciative  spectators." 

With  this  insolent  speech  the  Count  departed,  the 
boy  following  him  like  a  dog,  not  however  without  casting  a 
grateful  look  on  the  inmates  of  the  library,  which  said  as 
plainly  as  glances  can  speak :  I  am  not  leaving  you  for  good,  of 
this  I  can  assure  you.  While  the  Count  and  his  subject  were 
on  the  street  they  maintained  an  unbroken  silence,  but  as  soon 
as  they  were  seated  vis  a  vis  in  a  cabinet  particulier  in  the 
grand  restaurant,  they  found  their  tongues  and  chatted  to 
gether  with  all  the  exuberance  of  youthful  glee.  Count  Ka- 
tolowynski  was  a  spy  in  the  employ  of  the  Russian  government; 
a  trained  diplomat  to  whom  clairvoyant  aid,  such  as  that  ren- 
dered by  Zenophon,  was  of  priceless  value.  Never  thinking 
it  necessary  to  be  on  his  guard  when  alone  with  the  boy,  and 
having  taught  him  to  converse  fluently  in  Russian,  he  unfolded 
to  him  all  his  plans  for  extracting  secrets  from  the  wives  and 
daughters  of  ministers  from  foreign  courts  and  particularly 
for  utilizing  Zenophon  himself  as  a  discoverer  of  all  he  de- 
sired to  know. 

The  boy's  moral  sense  was  usually  keen,  he  shrunk  from 
every  species  of  dishonorable  conduct;  still  the  fascination 
of  the  Count's  presence  and  magnetism  was  so  great  that  even 
after  all  that  had  transpired  on  the  previous  Sun  day,  he  found 
himself  enraptured ;  he  admired  his  master  even  in  his  dis- 
honorable enterprises.  Strange  it  is,  but  none  the  less  is  it 
true,  that  when  under  a  spell  exerted  by  beauty  of  person  and 
assertion  of  will,  even  the  purest  of  sensitives  are  likely  to  be 
entrapped,  even  to  lend  themselves  to  crime  unless  fortified 
against  all  unhallowed  influence  by  strongly  confirmed  knowl- 
edge coupled  with  intense  love  of  truth.  Impersonal  affec- 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  95 

tion  for  truth  is  the  only  infallible  safeguard  against  mag- 
netic witcheries  and  intoxicating  spells. 

The  dinner  was  fit  for  a  prince  and  cost  $15,  though  the 
Count  only  ordered  one  portion  of  each  desired  article  and  he 
took  but  one  pint  bottle  of  Widow  Clicquot  The  play  at 
Madison  Square  delighted  them  both,  for  the  stately  Kussian 
had  all  a  boy's  love  of  ridiculous  situations,  and  though  it  was 
out  of  the  "season"  and  many  of  the  boxes  and  stalls  were 
vacant,  the  company  played  their  best  to  the  intensely  appre- 
ciative though  unfashionable  house.  After  the  performance 
and  a  feast  of  delicious  ices  and  fancy  confections  at  Tortoni's, 
a  walk  up  Broadway  brought  them  to  the  Hotel  Meurice  at  1  A.M. 

Count  Katolowynsld's  rooms  were  magnificent  and  su 
perbly  furnished ;  three  spacious  apartments  and  a  bathroom 
constituted  the  suite.  In  an  atmosphere  of  luxury  and  light 
and  in  company  with  the  imperial  master  whom  he  idolized 
and  who  was  in  his  most  agreeable  mood,  it  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at  the  boy  soon  fell  asleep  to  the  music  of  such  thoughts 
as  had  often  allured  him  in  the  brightest  hours  of  his  past 
revels  in  Eastern  palaces  and  gardens  with  himself  Grand 
Vizier  at  a  Court  where  his  master  was  Absolute  Monarch. 
The  softly  tempered  light,  the  faint  odor  of  pastiles  burning 
in  a  rich  antique  vase  on  the  mantlepiece,  the  rich  draperies  at 
the  windows  and  coverlets  of  the  bed,  which  were  all  of  oriental 
design  and  had  been  specially  procured  to  meet  the  Count's 
fastidious  requirements,  naturally  lent  a  strong  suggestion 
of  the  orient  to  the  boy's  meditations  before  retiring ;  and 
usually  our  dreams  are  an  outgrowth  from  our  thoughts  dur- 
ing the  day  though  not  in  the  limited  sense  to  which 
many  people  confine  this  statement.  Exceptions  it  is  said 
prove  many  a  rule,  and  to  this  rule  for  dreams  a  singular  ex- 
ception was  found  in  the  case  of  Zenophon,  who,  marvelous  to 
relate,  went  to  sleep  in  a  nightrobe  in  Count  Katolowynski's 
apartments  in  the  Hotel  Meurice  at  1.30  A.  M.,  and  woke  fully 
dressed  at  9  A.  M.,  on  a  lounge  in  Dr.  Maxwell's  room  at  312 
Sycamore  avenue,  a  considerable  distance  off. 


96  ONESIMUS    TENPLETON 

How  he  got  there  he  could  not  imagine ;  his  eyes  closed 
on  the  splendors  in  the  hotel,  he  was  perfectly  content  with 
his -surroundings ;  but  (seemingly  without  intermission  of 
time)  he  awoke  to  the  tones  of  the  breakfast  gong  in  Dr.  Max. 
well's  house.  As  he  had  been  recently  in  that  house  for  a  few 
days,  he  was  not  at  all  startled ;  nothing  was  new  or  strange 
about  him ;  but  when  he  entered  the  breakfast  room  he  was 
greeted  with  exclamations  of  surprise  by  all  present  except 
Dr.  Maxwell.  Then  a  sudden  burst  of  recollection  came  over 
him,  and  throwing  himself  at  Dr.  Maxwell's  feet,  as  he  had 
been  accustomed  to  fall  at  the  Count's,  he  imploringly  solicited 
an  explanation  of  so  singular  an  occurrence.  The  good  Doc- 
tor could  only  reassure  him  by  telling  him  that  all  was  well, 
and  bid  him  eat  his  breakfast  as  though  nothing  unusual  had 
happened,  then  accompany  him  into  the  study  and  seek  an  ex- 
planation from  the  unseen. 

The  following  explanation  was  given  through  the  boy's 
own  lips,  who  went  into  a  deep  trance  immediately  he  entered 
the  study :  "  The  powers  who  have  charge  of  this  young 
hierophant,  seeing  the  necessity  of  withdrawing  him  again 
from  pernicious  control,  guided  him  in  his  sleep  to  do  the 
right  thing.  At  7.30  he  was  made  to  get  out  of  bed  and  dress 
himself,  he  left  the  hotel  like  any  guest  going  out  to  walk;  he 
was  further  guided  to  let  himself  into  this  house  by  means  of 
the  key  you  have  given  him,  and  to  proceed  to  your  room  after 
you  had  left  it.  Enquiry  at  the  hotel  will  confirm  the  state- 
ment that  nothing  unusual  occured.  Count  Katolowynski  is 
not  yet  up,  when  he  discovers  the  boy  is  missing  he  will  think 
he  has  gone  to  church  and  will  not  search  for  him  till  noon, 
when  he  will  begin  to  grow  wrathful;  later  in  the  day  there 
will  be  an  explosion.  The  decisive  moment  has  come  and 
Azoriel  will  assert  his  power  finally.  You  are  all  going  to 
Paris  in  ten  days,  do  not  be  surprised,  you  will  be  summoned 
unexpectedly.  Prof,  de  Montemarte  has  written  for  you ;  you 
will  hear  from  Heloise  long  b«fore  you  get  the  letter." 


CHAPTER  IX. 


PREDICTIONS     VERIFIED. 


O  had  I  but  the  eagle  eye 

Which  sees  within,  behind,  before, 
Which  compasses  all  sea  and  shore, 

And  yet  is  ever  turned  on  high. 

Then  would  I  leave  this  lower  earth, 
And  on  the  wings  of  tho't  and  love 

Soar  to  those  eyries  far  above, 
Where  songs  celestial  find  their  birth. 

But  if  awhile  below  I  stay, 

And  dimly  thro'  the  veil  of  sense 

Behold  life's  glorious  recompense, 
Truth  here  may  turn  my  night  to  day." 


Dr.  Maxwell,  with  his  usual  clear-sightedness, — and  con- 
siderably aided  by  the  talk  he  had  with  Zenophon  on  the  mem- 
orable day  when  the  boy  was  so  strangely  delivered  from 
Count  Katolowynski's  hands,  and  guided  by  unseen  intelli- 
gence while  in  trance  to  make  his  way  to  the  hospitable 
home  where  the  family  had  already  come  to  regard  him  as  a 
son  of  the  house — thinking  prevention  better  than  warfare 
with  a  person  of  the  Count's  irascible  and  unscrupulous  dis- 
position, and  not  being  much  pressed  with  immediate  duties, 
proposed  to  Mr.  Templeton,  Zenophon,  Mrs.  Finchley,  and  the 
O'Shannons,  that  they  should  all  go  up  the  river  as  far  as 
Northwalk,  and  visit  some  old  friends  of  Mrs.  Finchley's, 


98  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

who  had  a  large,  hospitable  country-seat  in  that  pretty  sub- 
urb, where  they  were  always  prepared  for  company,  and  de- 
lighted to  see  friends  whenever  they  might  call. 

Not  wishing,  however,  to  arrive  inopportunely,  and  being 
anxious  for  Mr.  Templeton's  particular  benefit  to  test  Zeno- 
phon's  clairvoyance  in  a  matter  which  admitted  of  easy  and 
speedy  verification,  the  party  above  mentioned  gathered  round 
the  boy  who  always  liked  to  recline  on  a  rug  in  the  centre  of  a 
harmonious  circle  when  he  exercised  his  gift, — and  let  Mrs. 
Finchley,  who  was  on  intimate  terms  with  the  Codringtons  of 
North  walk,  interrogate  him  as  to  their  present  readiness  to 
receive  visitors.  Zenophon,  who  was  always  particularly 
lucid  under  Mrs.  Finchley's  suggestions,  at  once  began  de- 
scribing "The  Cedars"  and  its  occupants.  "I  see,"  he  said, 
"a  venerable  man  seated  at  an  escritoire  writing  a  note  of  in- 
vitation to  you;  it  reads  as  follows :  Dear  Mrs.  Finchley,  do 
come  over  to-day  and  bring  all  your  friends.  We  shall  hope 
to  see  you  to  luncheon  at  2,  but  if  any  of  you  can  not  get 
here  so  early,  be  sure  and  take  dinner  with  us  at  6.30.  We 
want  you  to  hear  Mr.  Vincent  Hammer  who  is  just  from  Scot- 
land, and  has  been  entertaining  the  Edinburgh  professors 
with  his  views  on  Theosopby.  We  have  a  conversazione  this 
evening ;  he  will  read  a  paper ;  don't  fail  us.  Wife  sends  her 
love,  and  urges  her  claim  on  your  offer  of  help  when  we  have 
unexpected  visitors."  Yours  as  ever, 

AMOS   CODRINGTON. 

The  Cedars,  Northwalk,  July  31,  1887. 

"  Well,"  said  Templeton,"  here's  another  case  of  most  ex- 
traordinary letter  reading.  I  am  intensely  anxious  about  the 
letter  from  my  mother  which  I  shall  get  to-morrow  morning, 
if  this  wonderful  clairvoyance  does  not  disappoint  me;  but 
here  is  a  letter  that  ought  to  come  in  an  hour  at  latest.  It  is 
already  nearly  11,  and  how  do  they  expect  us  to  get  out  to 
their  house  by  2  unless  we  get  news  before  mid-day? 

No  sooner  had  Mr.  Templeton  spoken  than  the  page  knocked 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  99 

at  the  library  door  and  announced  that  Mr.  Clarence  Codring- 
ton  had  called  with  a  message,  but  could  not  wait  to  see  any 
one  as  he  was  hurrying  into  the  city  on  business,  and  wanted 
to  get  home  early.  He  left  word  that  his  father  and  mother 
were  very  anxious  to  see  Dr.  Maxwell  and  those  of  his  friends 
who  could  make  it  convenient  to  spend  the  day  or  at  least  the 
evening  at  their  place  across  the  water.  A  letter  was  on  its 
way,  but  he  brought  word  to  give  them  more  time  for  prepa- 
ration. 

Here  was  confirmation  direct  of  Zenophon's  perception ; 
Mr.  Templeton  was  delighted,  and  all  were  pleased  and  some- 
what astonished  at  the  immediate  proof  afforded  of  Zeno. 
phon's  ability  to  use  his  powers  to  perfection  when  separated 
from  the  Count,  to  whoso  mesmeric  sway  he  had  been  inva- 
riably accustomed  to  yield  before  passing  into  the  ecstatic  con- 
dition. Without  further  delay  they  arranged  their  plans  for 
departure,  and  just  as  they  were  leaving  to  catch  the  one  o'clock 
boat,  the  postman  delivered  to  Mrs.  Finchley  a  letter  ad- 
dressed in  Mr.  Codrington's  well-known  hand.  On  tearing 
open  the  letter  she  found  it  word  for  word  as  Zenophon  had 
read  it;  she  handed  it  at  once  to  Mr.  Templeton,  who  was 
overjoyed  at  this  demonstration  of  the  boy's  positive  accuracy 
in  an  affair  so  nearly  related  to  the  one  in  which  he  was  so 
greatly  interested. 

They  just  caught  the  boat,  and  after  a  delightful  hour  on 
the  water,  reached  Northwalk  just  after  two.  Mr.  Codring- 
ton  was  at  the  landing  stage  with  a  drag,  ready  to  take  as 
many  as  might  appear,  to  his  sylvan  retreat  about  a  mile  dis- 
tant. In  a  few  minutes  they  were  at  "  The  Cedars,"  greeted 
warmly  by  Mrs.  Lavinia  Codrington  and  Miss  Florence  Hope 
(a  delightful  girl  visiting  them  during  the  long  vacation  at 
Vassar).  Lunch  was  ready  and  they  all  partook  freely  of  the 
good  things  provided;  a  lovely  drive  and  delicious  sauntericg 
through  the  extensive  grounds  which  comprised  the  estate, 
occupied  all  the  afternoon  until  dinner,  at  which  meal  they 
were  joined  by  Mr.  Clarence  Codrington  eon  and  heir:  a 


100  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

young  gentlemim  of  very  prepossessing  appearance,  coupled 
with  such  grace  and  dignity  of  bearing  as  can  never  exist 
apart  from  delicacy  of  feeling  and  genuine  culture  in  the  true 
sense  of  that  often  misapplied  -word. 

About  7.30,  carriages  began  driving  up,  and  pedestrians 
arrived  in  considerable  numbers.  The  billiard  hall  had  been 
arranged  to  seat  at  least  two  hundred  people,  and  as  many  of 
the  Codringtons'  friends  and  neighbors  were  greatly  inter- 
ested in  Theosophy,  the  invitations  extended  were  nearly  all 
honored  by  those  who  were  at  home  on  receipt  of  them.  De- 
lightful music  was  the  order  of  proceeding  for  about  half  an 
hour ;  Miss  Lydia  O'Shannon  and  Miss  Hope  had  become 
great  friends  during  the  afternoon,  and  soon  discovered  that 
they  could  play  and  sing  duets  together.  It  is  the  unchanging 
experience  of  truly  artistic  people,  that  whenever  they  encoun- 
ter congenial  spirits  they  can  rise  together  to  artistic  heights 
neither  can  attain  singly. 

Dr.  Vincent  Hammer  was  a  tall,  rather  prepossessing  elderly 
gentleman,  who  wore  spectacles  and  spoke  from  manuscript ; 
his  delivery  was  good  though  not  extraordinary;  he  was  evi- 
dently deeply  imbued  with  the  importance  of  his  subject,  and 
being  a  "new-school"  Theosophist  not  in  very  good  standing 
with  the  Aryan  Theosophical  Society,  he  seemed  especially  de- 
sirous of  making  himself  perfectly  understood,  and  to  this  end 
was  particularly  careful  and  precise  in  his  statements. 

The  following  is  his  paper  handed  to  a  reporter  after  the 
exercises: 

"  Theosophy  is  the  master-key  to  eternal  life ;  to  the  under- 
standing of  God  and  man.  True  Theosophy  concerns  itself 
exclusively  with  man's  spiritual  development,  with  the  finding 
of  Christ  within,  the  Divine  Logos  or  Word  of  the  Eternal. 
When  we  find  God  within,  where  Jesus  and  the  Buddhas  alike 
say  God  resides,  we  truly  realize  our  divine  nature.  Genuine 
Theosophy  is  to  this  generation  the  Christ  of  truth  arising 
out  of  the  tomb  of  error;  it  teaches  complete  self  control,  the 
rucifixion  of  the  senses,  the  liberation  of  the  spirit  from  all 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  101 

carnal  passion,  the  resurrection  of  all  that  is  divine  within  us- 
Theosophy  is  complete  spiritual  science.  Knowledge  cf  the 
eternal  is  the  only  true  science.  To  know  Christ  is  to  hear 
the  living  Word  which  speaks  in  us  from  Infinite  Divine  Be- 
ing. When  Spirit  is  revealed,  henceforth  we  have  no  thought 
of  death.  The  true  Theosophist  drinks  inspiration  from  the 
ever  present  spiritual  life,  the  universe  becomes  to  him  an  open 
book.  We  must  outgrow  false  ideas  and  sacerdotalism,  and 
become  each  one  a  true  priest;  our  daily  sacrifice  must  be  the 
daily  surrender  of  our  lower  appetites  to  our  higher  prompt- 
ings. 

"  The  principles  of  Theosophy  are  love,  wisdom  and  truth, 
which  reveal  to  us  in  measure  as  we  can  understand,  the  ab- 
solute purity  and  perfection  of  the  Divine  Nature.  Theoso- 
phy is  universal  truth  and  universal  religion;  it  is  demonstrat- 
ed spiritual  science,  and  holds  the  key  to  all  sciences  and  re- 
ligions. In  Theosophy  we  behold  the  essential  unity  of  all 
religions;  Theosophists  should  study  all  religions,  but  dogmat- 
ically enforce  none.  What  does  religion  really  mean  ?  Relig- 
ere  signifies  to  bind  together,  but  does  not  imply  a  condition 
of  bondage  other  than  that  in  which  the  lower  nature  is  held 
subject  to  the  higher.  This  is  truly  at-one-ment  or  reconcili- 
ation, the  perfect  harmony  of  all  the  elements  in  human  na- 
ture. Eeligion  does  not  consist  in  belief  in  immorality,  or  in 
God.  Belief  saves  no  one  for  it  is  merely  intellectual  assent 
to  certain  dogmas.  One  can  believe  in  religion  and  be  devil- 
ish; devils  it  is  said  believe  and  tremble.  We  can  be  so  intel- 
lectually unfolded  as  to  believe  in  God  without  being  in  the 
least  developed  in  our  truly  spiritual  nature. 

"  What  does  resurrection  mean  in  our  individual  lives  but 
rising  through  death  of  the  lower  self  to  spiritual  triumph. 
Nothing  dies  in  reality,  only  in  seeming.  The  seed  is  not 
quickened  unless  it  undergoes  the  appearance  of  death,  and 
there  is  no  quickening  of  the  spirit  unless  there  is  a  death  of 
the  lower  self;  then  from  the  sepulchre  the  rock  is  rolled 
away  a  symbol  of  our  new  birth  to  a  knowledge  of  Truth. 


102  ONESIMTTS    TEMPLETON 

Theosophy,  which  is  true  religion,  is  the  science  of  right  liv- 
ing, and  is  in  no  sense  a  sacerdotal  system.  Divine  wisdom  is 
the  whole  world's  only  religion  for  the  future ;  a  religion  which 
meets  every  want  and  fully  satisfies  every  lawful  craving  of 
human  emotion  as  well  as  intellect. 

"  The  Divine  Being  is  necessarily  beyond  the  comprehen- 
sion of  man.  Man  is  not  equal  to  God,  there  must  be  there- 
fore a  mystery  attaching  to  God  for  the  human  mind.  That 
which  is  on  our  level  we  may  explain,  whatever  is  beyond  that 
level  remains  unsolved  ;  God  alone  understands  God,  as  man 
alone  can  comprehend  man.  As  Deity  is  infinitely  above  us, 
Deity  is  beyond  all  definition ;  the  soundest  metaphysicians 
never  undertake  to  define  Deity.  Agnosticism  is  a  despairing 
confession  of  honest  men  whose  intellects  are  unable  to  solve 
the  problem  of  Being.  Theosophists  need  not  conflict  with 
Huxley  or  Spencer ;  all  divine  things  are  unknowable  to  the 
senses,  but  Theosophy  teaches  of  spiritual  intuition  by  which 
we  can  arrive  at  some  knowledge  of  Spirit,  though  to  our  re- 
searches there  can  be  no  end.  Intellectually  we  find  not  God 
but  Energy,  Power,  Force.  The  word  God  means  the  All- 
Good,  the  Good  One,  nothing  more,  nothing  less. 

"  Plato's  immortal  assertion,  '  God  geometrizes/  does  not 
imply  Plato's  acknowledgement  of  anything  more  than  infinite 
Mind ;  no  kind,  loving  God  appears  in  that  sentence.  Infinite 
power  might  be  cruel.  Many  people  know  nothing  of  God 
though  they  profess  to  believe  in  God;  but  not  until  they  ad- 
vance beyond  belief  do  they  find  the  Eternal.  Beliefs  imply 
that  some  "  school"  is  the  custodian  of  special  intelligence 
from  Deity,  whose  testimony  is  to  be  accepted  by  disciples  as 
final  authority.  The  word  Testament  means  something  one 
leaves  behind  him  when  he  is  going  away;  while  the  testator 
liveth,  such  documents  are  of  no  effect.  People  who  know 
nothing  of  God  but  what  they  read  in  the  Bible,  and  concern- 
ing that  venerable  book  we  would  indeed  utter  nothing  disre- 
spectful, believe  in  a  God  who  has  left  a  Testament.  Practi- 
cally it  is  so  to  them.  Many  Christians  believe  in  a  God 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  103 

very  far  from  this  world  and  in  no  direct  way  concerned  with 
human  affairs.  There  was,  they  believe,  a  time  when  God 
spoke  to  the  world,  but  he  speaks  no  longer;  God,  for  them, 
has  finished  His  book  and  has  delivered  the  published  volume 
completed  into  their  hands.  How  utterly  incongruous  is  this 
mental  attitude  with  the  teachings  of  Jesus:  'He  hath  been 
with  you  and  shall  be  in  you.'  It  is  expedient  that  I  go  away, 
for  when  I  have  vanished  from  your  sight  the  Paraclete  will 
be  nearer  to  you  than  ever  before,  and  will  gradually  lead  you 
into  all  truth.  The  disciples  were  directed  not  to  receive  truth 
through  any  written  revelation,  but  entirely  by  means  of  the 
ever  living  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  within  them.  Theos- 
ophy  places  every  individual  soul  on  the  solid  rock  of  experi- 
enced truth  on  which  Theosophy  itself  is  based.  We  must 
build  our  social  temple  on  the  rock  of  impartial  equity  which 
we  can  never  find  until  we  discover  it  in  ourselves.  Enlight- 
ment  is  a  matter  of  individual  spiritual  unfoldment ;  God  is 
Love  and  Wisdom;  absolute  equity  is  the  infinite  principle  of 
Life.  As  we  act  divinely,  we  perceive  a  revelation  of  divine 
wisdom  in  our  own  lives;  all  knowledge  of  wisdom  proceeds 
from  the  love  of  good  in  us  which  is  the  only  divine  love.  Only 
when  we  act  from  a  motive  of  love  directed  toward  good  are 
our  acts  truly  wise. 

"  Man's  best  conception  of  Deity  is  that  God  is  love.  Love 
is  the  highest  element  in  the  human  soul,  and  is  inseparable 
from  charity,  which  is  love  in  expression. 

"  Henry  James  (an  earnest  student  of  Swedenborg,  not  the 
novelist)  declares  in  his  admirable  work,  Society,  the  Redeem- 
ed Form  of  Man,  that  in  studying  the  problem  of  life  one 
comes  to  see  ever  more  and  more  distinctly  that  the  only  pos- 
sible cause  of  creation  is  that  God  being  pure  love  he  can  not 
love  himself.  Love  must  have  an  object,  and  this  object  is 
humanity.  Creation,  then,  is  the  result  of  the  Divine  love 
seeking  object  and  expression.  By  humanity,  of  course,  we 
do  not  mean  exclusively  the  inhabitants  of  this  one  little  plan- 
et (we  need  not  tell  you  that  the  earth  is  not  the  universe) 


104  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

We  mean  all  intelligent  inhabitants  of  all  worlds,  who  united- 
ly constitute  the  form  of  the  Divine  man  or  the  progeny  of 
God,  which  is  without  beginning  and  without  end. 

"  The  true  hidden  wisdom  is  to  be  found  in  our  own  inmost 
selves,  not  in  books  or  scrolls.  God's  living  word  is  Man,  who 
is  the  highest  expression  of  Nature.  The  hidden  wisdom 
within  our  own  souls  must  reach  our  intellects  through  devel- 
opment of  our  own  inner  self,  and  in  no  other  way.  Theosophy 
does  not  depend  on  legends,  on  belief  in  historical  personalities 
or  on  the  truth  contained  in  sacred  books.  It  rests  solely  on 
its  own  intrinsic  value,  and  appeals  to  our  moral  nature.  If 
Buddha  or  Jesus  never  lived,  the  teachings  are  no  less  value 
able  to  man.  Precious  stones  have  intrinsic  value,  and  truth 
is  aptly  compared  to  a  priceless  pearl. 

"All  divine  teaching  is  demonstrated  through  its  hallowing 
influence  on  human  life.  Judge  the  tree  by  its  fruits.  Bring 
all  theories  to  the  touch-stone  of  experience.  Were  we  to  find 
that  the  teachings]of  the  Vedas  (lived  up  to)  caused  war  and 
hatred  to  vanish  from  the  earth,  we  should  thereby  know  the 
source  whence  these  streams  sprang  to  be  a  fountain  of  liv- 
ing water,  able  to  slake  the  spiritual  thirst  of  mankind. 

There  is  nothing  of  moral  value  in  the  Vedas  that  we  do 
not  find  in  the  New  Testament  also.  The  teachings  attrib- 
uted to  Gautama  and  to  Jesus  are  identical.  We  can  well  dis- 
pense with  controversy  when  we  drink  true  inspiration. 
Whether  we  look  to  Guatama  or  any  other  historic  light  of 
India;  or  to  Jesus,  the  historic  light  of  Palestine;  or  to  Osiris, 
the  legendary  messiah  of  Egypt,  we  must  never  forget  that 
neither  Osiris,  Christ  or  Buddha,  or  what  they  typify,  is  ever 
dead  and  buried.  In  spirit  Jesus  is  working  now  as  actively 
as  when  he  was  on  earth.  The  truth  the  Buddhas  or  Osiris 
revealed  is  still  operating  in  the  world. 

"  Why  seek  ye  the  living  among  the  dead?"  Why  watch 
by  a  sepulchre  when  you  can  converse  with  the  living  spirit  on 
the  highways  of  life  ?  When  we  liberate  our  intuition,  the 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  105 

sun  within  us  sheds  around  our  path  its  bright  beams  of  ap- 
preciable light  and  heat,     (wisdom  and  affection.) 

Those  who  bathe  in  the  sunlight  hourly  appropriate  its  rays. 
Not  those  who  have  analyzed  the  water  or  tested  the  depth  of 
the  well,  but  those  who  drink  the  water  of  life  reap  its  bene- 
fits. Not  our  historic  knowledge  of  a  revelation  of  truth,  but 
our  assimilation  of  it  profits  us.  We  must  eat  and  drink,  i.  e. 
appropriate  the  living  Spirit  of  Truth,  which  is  ever  active 
throughout  the  universe.  The  past  has  risen  in  the  present ; 
we  must  live  to-day,  not  worshipfully  regret  the  days  of  old, 
Our  present  at-one-ment  with  the  living  Christ  can  alone  bring 
us  into  consciousness  of  truth.  The  truths  of  Spirit  are  not 
apprehended  by  the  intellect,  but  by  intuition;  later  on,  reason 
grapples  with  inward  revelation  and  defines  it.  Be  guided 
entirely  by  your  individual  intuition;  be  ever  honest  and  in- 
tensely earnest  in  your  search  for  truth,  and  you  will  each  one 
of  you  discover  all  it  is  needful  for  you  to  know. 

Races  of  Mahatmas  may  have  spent  ages  in  ferreting  out 
the  truths  of  the  universe,  but  their  existence  is  not  positively 
known  even  to  Buddhists.  Truth  is  revealed  only  to  those 
who  are  in  a  condition  to  appreciate  it.  There  is  probably  no 
reluctance  on  the  part  of  any  genuine  Jfahatmas  to  reveal 
themselves,  but  no  one  can  create  eyes  in  us  to  discover  truth 
even  if  it  visits  us  most  intimately. 

When  Edwin  Arnold  was  there,  he  held  conferences  with 
the  Buddhists  of  Ceylon,  and  received  from  them  a  very  com- 
plimentary address,  eulogizing  him  as  a  true  interpreter  of 
the  Sanscrit  philosophy.  "  The  Light  of  Asia,"  they  en- 
dorsed with  much  affection.  Conversing  with  them  of  Ma- 
hatmas, he  was  told  that  the  priests  knew  nothing  of  the  ex. 
istence  of  snch  people;  they  could  not  be  found,  though  they 
were  famous  in  Europe  and  America.  At  the  same  time  these 
Buddhists  affirmed  that  there  were  many  teachings  in  the 
Sanscrit  which,  if  followed  out,  would  develop  men  into  Ma- 
hatmas  (greatly  unfolded  souls.) 

The  Buddhists  themselves  think  Arnold's  faithful  and  mag- 


106  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

nificent  portrayal  of  the  career  of  the  latest  Buddha  has  done 
more  than  anything  else  to  recall  the  attention  of  the  Hindu 
people  to  a  perception  of  the  beauties  enshrined  in  the  Bud- 
dhist religion,  and  it  affords  them  a  powerful  incentive  to  live 
up  to  these  teachings. 

We  hear  a  great  deal  of  Indian  degradation,  particularly  of 
woman's  degraded  condition  in  India.  It  can  not  be  disputed 
that  many  women  in  India  are  in  a  state  of  gross  degradation, 
but  this  condition  exists  in  spite  of  the  teachings  of  the  San- 
scrit philosophy  which  lead  logically  to  the  elevation  of  all 
mankind,  not  in  consequence  of  their  religion.  All  the  vices  of 
Christendom  are  rebuked  in  Scripture,  but  tolerated  in  Chris- 
tian communities.  No  charge  can  be  brought  against  the 
Buddhist  religion  for  the  vices  of  Asia  that  can  not  be  brought 
against  every  other  religion  on  earth  with  equal  force  and 
justice. 

As  the  religion  of  India  is  set  forth  in  its  sacred  books, 
it  is  a  religion  of  the  greatest  purity  and  noblest  wisdom. 
No  one  who  faithfully  and  studiously  compares  the  ten  great 
religions  of  the  world,  will  fail  to  find  Buddhism  the  most 
humanitarian,  and  Brahmanism  the  most  metaphysical  of  all 
known  systems.  Buddhism  taught  that  nothing  and  no  one  can 
come  between  us  and  God  if  we  are  loyal  to  each  other. 

We  are,  according  to  this  philosophy,  our  own  high  priests, 
mediators,  and  intercessors,  absolutely  free  to  discover  truth 
for  ourselves  by  following  in  the  path  marked  out  by  our  own 
intuition  which  gives  :  "  Thus  saith  the  indwelling  Spirit"  as 
final  authority.  Too  many  people  unfortunately  are  not  con- 
tented without  some  external  lord  or  master  to  obey ;  they  re- 
quire some  one  to  do  their  thinking  for  them  instead  of  ap- 
pealing directly  to  the  Lord  within  their  own  hearts,  so  as  to 
receive  Truth  from  the  source  of  all  truth.  It  is  only  to  awak- 
en spiritual  thought  and  intellectual  inquiry  that  we  ask  you 
to  study  Theosophy,  not  to  induce  allegiance  to  some  hierarchy 
of  India;  for  to  the  Christian  world  '  follow  Christ'  is  as  neces- 
sary as  'follow  Buddha*  can  be  to  Orientals.  I  shall  hope  to 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  107 

make  myself  further  intelligible  in  other  and  ampler  essays.'* 
After  the  essay,  other  speakers  being  invited  to  address 
the  company,  there  was  little  time  left  for  discussion.  Mr- 
Templeton  was  deeply  interested,  (he  always  was  in  such  mat- 
ters), but  Mr.  Hammer's  paper  raised  far  more  questions  in 
his  mind  than  it  answered  ;  he  therefore  lapsed  into  taciturn- 
ity on  the  way  home,  and  scarcely  slept  the  night  following 
through  revolving  these  great  questions  in  his  eagerly  inquir- 
ing mind.  Next  morning  the  letter  from  his  mother  arrived 
during  breakfast,  word  for  word  as  Zenophon  had  foreseen  it. 
Count  Katolowynski  had  instituted  legal  proceedings  based  on 
the  claim  that  Dr.  Maxwell  had  abducted  Zenophon,  and  the 
general  atmosphere  at  312  Sycamore  avenue  was  highly  ex- 
cited though  its  elder  inmates  were  quite  unharrassed  as  they 
had  long  since  learned  to  trust  implicitly  in  the  final  yictory 
of  Eight. 


108  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 


CHAPTER  X. 


A     SUDDEN     DEPARTURE. 


"  If  on  the  mystic  shores  of  time 

I  stand  perplexed  and  sad, 
t  is  not  that  my  heart  rebels  ; 

For  much  I  am  most  glad, 
But  what  I  know  is  very  small, 

The  unknown  is  so  vast. 
I  only  long  to  reach  some  port, 

And  find  an  anchor  cast. 
I  think,  I  dream,  I  sigh,  I  long  ; 

The  answer  must  come  soon. 
The  Lord  of  Truth  will  not  deny 

His  child  the  asked-for  boon. 
In  deep  humility  I  crave, 

And  as  I  beg,  I  trust 
And  hope  'gainst  hope  that  some  day  soon 

This  all  impassive  dust 
Will  change  to  flowers  beneath  the  touch 

Of  life's  mysterious  spell ; 
And  I  shall  know  with  certainty 

God  doeth  all  things  well." 

Frequently  it  occurs  when  something  disagreeable  seems 
close  at  hand,  if  persons  who  are  interested  in  averting  the 
difficulty  do  but  exercise  their  highest  judgment — aided  by 
such  intuition  as  they  may  be  blessed  with — they  can  effect- 
ually convert  the  most  perplexing  affairs  into  occasions  for 
rejoicing. 

Some  such  consideration  as  this  was  coursing  through  Dr. 
Maxwell's  mind  the  day  following  the  excursion  to  North- 
walk,  as  about  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  he  sat  alone  in  the 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  109 

library,  studying  out  the  best  method  of  dealing  with  Count 
Katolowynski's  impertinent  and  threatening  missive  which 
lay  open  on  the  desk  before  him.  The  Count  was  in  a  blind 
fury ;  he  refused  to  reason,  nothing  but  legal  action  would 
satisfy  him.  He  had  called  twice  during  the  day,  and  so 
insulted  the  doctor,  that — long  suffering  man  though  he  was 
— he  was  at  last  aroused  to  something  like  impatience. 

Zenophon,  he  declared,  should  never  with  his  consent,  be 
returned  into  slavery,  let  the  Count  do  his  worst.  Whatever 
Russian  law  might  sanction;  slavery  could  never  be  supported 
in  any  court  in  England  or  America.  This  the  Count  knew 
only  too  well,  and  consequently  based  his  complaint  on  a 
charge  of  abduction,  and  went  so  far  as  to  concoct  an  elabor- 
ate tissue  of  falsehood,  which  he  had  instructed  his  lawyer, 
Mr.  Wilbur  Nayerjust,  to  lay  before  the  judge  with  the  utmost 
emphasis. 

But  where  was  Zenophon?  Count  Katolowynski  was 
allowed  to  search  the  house  from  attic  to  cellar,  but  no  trace 
of  the  missing  boy  could  he  discover.  "  What  new  deviltry  is 
this?"  he  fumed.  "Surely  you  have  imperiled  yourself 
enough  already  by  taking  from  under  my  august  protection 
the  orphan  whom  I  have  sheltered  as  I  would  protect  my  life. 
I  will  find  Zenophon,  though  it  be  over  your  dead  bodies, 
and  if  you  seek  any  longer  to  circumvent  the  course  of  equity 
you  will  find  yourselves  between  other  walls  than  these. 
Beware,  I  say,  how  you  call  out  the  Russian  bear,  you  milk- 
sop Americans,  you  conceited  English  puppies.  I  will  let  you 
see  what  it  is  to  trifle  with  the  aristocracy  of  a  country  which 
sends  its  own  subjects  to  Siberian  deserts  for  life  for  offenses 
which  are  but  trifles  compared  with  yours." 

"Hyde  r  Count,"  protested  Dr.  Maxwell,  "I  beseech  you, 
be  considerate  on  your  own  account.  As  for  me,  I  am  in  a 
land  of  freedom,  where  allusions  to  Siberia  can  only  provoke 
a  smile,  but  I  assure  you  in  this  part  of  the  world,  Russian 
serfdom  is  not  tolerated,  and  your  '  protection '  of  Zenophon 
will  soon  be  called  by  a  very  different  name.  I  warn  you,  if 


110  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

you  attempt  to  recapture  your  escaped  victim,  you  may  regret 
when  it  is  too  late,  your  rash  resolve  to  play  upon  your  claim 
to  Russian  aristocracy  while  in  an  American  city." 

At  this  the  Count  became  so  abusive  that  Dr.  Maxwell 
summoned  the  servants  to  show  him  out,  at  which  humilia- 
tion he  became  so  vituperative  that  the  police  would  have 
interfered  had  not  the  enraged  "nobleman"  seen  the 
absurdity  of  his  bragadosia  just  in  time  to  hail  a  cab  and 
drive  pale  with  fury  to  the  Hotel  Meurice,  where  he  roundly 
abused  the  waiters,  entered  a  complaint  against  the  clerks  to 
the  proprietor,  and  generally  made  himself  odious  and  ridicu- 
lous. But  the  reader  will  ask,  where  was  the  innocent  cause 
of  this  contention  all  this  time?  The  answer  is  simplicity 
itself:  he  had  accompanied  his  new  friends  the  day  before  to 
Northwalk  and  was  at  that  time  reading  a  book  of  travels 
under  the  trees  in  Mr.  Codrington's  park.  His  situation, 
however,  impressed  him  strangely ;  he  could  not  account  for 
much  that  he  was  experiencing ;  occasionally  his  thoughts 
turned  regretfully  to  the  old  life  and  the  master  whom  he 
loved,  even  though  he  feared  him;  but  a  sweet  sense  of  secur- 
ity and  bright  anticipation  was  breaking  in  upon  his  long 
fettered  mind  as  the  graceful  form  of  Heloise  floated  through 
his  dream-like  reveries,  and  beyond  her  power  to  fascinate  he 
felt  the  regal  influence  of  the  mighty  Azoriel  who  now  revealed 
himself  to  the  wondering  child  as  his  constant  preceptor. 

Zenophon's  nature  was  intensely  receptive ;  his  sensitive- 
ness was  extreme  at  every  point;  all  his  emotions  were 
intense;  he  could  enjoy  and  suffer  exquisitely;  the  smallest 
things  often  afforded  him  intense  happiness  or  plunged  him 
in  abysses  of  despair.  While  under  the  complete  mesmeric 
control  of  another,  his  individual  life  had  been  submerged, 
and  often  for  days  and  even  weeks  together,  he  was  scarcely 
himself  for  a  single  hour;  but  now  that  this  spell  was  almost 
broken  he  would  feel  as  though  every  living  thing  about  him, 
flowers  and  leaves,  as  well  as  birds  and  animals,  were  instinct 
with  feeling.  A  more  singular  impression  can  hardly  be 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  111 

imagined  than  the  vivid  realization  of  omnipresent  conscious- 
ness which  steals  over  a  highly  organized  nature  at  a  time 
when  the  deepest  feelings  of  the  inner  being  are  intensely 
aroused.  Physicians  may  call  such  a  state  pathological 
hypersensitivenes — may  no  doubt  measurably  explain  it,  but 
even  if  it  be  not  best  adapted,  to  our  ordinary  life  on  earth, 
who  shall  dare  to  say  that  it  does  not  t  ake  whoever  experi- 
ences it  in  a  very  real  way  across  tne  border  which  separates 
the  seen  from  the  unseen,  thereby  revealing  to  the  vision  of  a 
seer  some  at  least  of  the  actualities  of  the  mystic  universe 
which  interpenetrates  the  physical  as  the  spirit  prevades  the 
body? 

Mr.  Tempi eton  was  restless  during  all  that  day;  an 
answer  to  his  mother's  letter  had  occupied  him  all  the  morn- 
ing, but  after  he  had  posted  the  long  missive  he  could  settle 
down  to  nothing.  Feeling  an  insatiable  desire  to  converse 
with  Zenophon  he  decided  on  going  to  Northwalk  to  visit  the 
Codringtons,  who  had  most  hospitably  implored  him  to  con- 
sider their  house  one  of  his  homes.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Codring- 
ton  were  both  out  when  he  reached  their  home  about  4  p.  M. 
The  footman  who  answered  the  door  was  very  polite  but  not 
communicative;  he  was  one  of  those  thoroughbred  English 
servants  who  know  their  place  and  keep  it,  and  would  no 
more  have  thought  of  questioning  his  employer's  guests  or 
visitors  about  their  business  than  Le  would  have  attempted 
flying. 

James  Freeman  had  been  with  the  Codringtons  nineteen 
years.  His  wife,  whom  he  married  five  years  after  entering 
•their  service,  had  been  a  domestic  in  the  household  even 
longer,  and  still  retained  her  place  as  Mrs.  Codrington's 
maid.  These  good  people  (Mr.  and  Mrs.  Freeman)  had 
taken  a  great  liking  to  Zenophon,  whose  every  want  they 
anticipated;  but  his  singular  habit  of  meditating  in  the 
garden  in  preference  to  chatting  in  the  house  keeper's  room, 
made  them  feel  somewhat  anxious  about  the  boy,  who  had  a 
far-away  look  in  his  eyes  and  seemed  embarrassed.  Think- 


112  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

ing  Mr.  Templeton's  society  might  be  of  benefit  to  him,  the 
courteous  and  deferential  footman  mentioned  the  fact  of  the 
boy's  being  in  the  garden,  and  proposed  sending  for  him  if 
Mr.  Templeton  would  like  to  see  him.  Declining  all  invita- 
tion to  partake  of  cake  and  fruit  (which  James  was  instructed 
to  offer  to  all  visitors),  he  wended  his  way  through  the  lovely 
grounds — then  in  their  richest  summer  glory — and  soon 
came  to  the  little  leafy  arbor,  in  which  Zenophon  presented  a 
picture  any  artist  would  have  been  glad  to  paint. 

Dressed  in  picturesque  Greek  costume — a  little  scarlet 
turban  on  his  raven  curls,  an  expression  of  dreamy  thought- 
fulness  rendering  his  mobile  features  remarkably  attractive, 
his  whole  air  one  of  mystic,  pensive  expectancy — the  boy  fully 
looked  the  part  he  had  been  assigned  to  play  by  a  higher 
intelligence  than  that  of  his  earthly  comrades.  As  Mr.  Tem- 
pleton spoke  quietly  and  kindly  to  him,  questioning  him 
gently  concerning  the  state  of  his  feelings  now  that  he  was  in 
a  strange  house  and  among  people  who  were  not  even 
acquaintances  until  the  day  before,  he  replied  that  he  felt 
only  two  emotions :  gratitude  to  all  who  had  been  kind  to 
him,  and  extreme  wonder  as  to  whither  the  mysterious  current 
of  his  strange,  eventful  life  was  bearing  him. 

He  struck  Mr.  Templeton  as  a  child  "  without  a  country," 
in  the  fullest  sense  of  that  expression.  He  was  a  Greek  by 
birth,  but  so  utterly  cosmopolitan  in  all  his  instincts  that 
one  could  never  tell  if  he  had  a  scrap  more  regard  for  one 
land  than  for  all  others.  He  talked  freely — when  in  a  con- 
versational mood,  but  never  made  himself  obtrusive,  and  often 
he  showed  a  complete  aversion  to  all  conversation.  At  such 
times  he  was  evidently  in  eoinmuni  jn  with  states  not  generally 
perceived  by  mortals,  for  his  bright,  expressive  eyes  would 
show  such  signal  animation  as  can  never  light  the  counte- 
nance of  one  who  is  indifferent  or  merely  "thoughtful,"  and 
certainly  such  bright  expressions  do  not  accompany  sad 
moods. 

As  Zenophon  soon  showed  perfect  willingness  to  speak 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  113 

freely  on  any  topic,  Mr.  Templeton  interrogated  him  closely 
as  to  the  purport  of  his  strange  assertion,  that  the  whole 
party  were  on  their  way  to  Paris,  except  Mrs.  O' Shannon  and 
her  youngest  daughter,  who  had  decided  to  spend  August  at 
the  White  Mountains.  After  gazing  into  vacancy,  as  it 
appeared,  for  a  few  moments,  he  started  suddenly,  exclaiming, 
"  Oh,  there's  Heloise  again,  how  eager  she  looks.  "  Come  at 
once,"  I  see' written  in  the  air  in  letters  of  flame  ;  she  is  in  a 
telegraph  office  in  Paris  sending  a  dispatch ;  it  is  growing 
late  in  the  evening  there,  the  lamps  are  lighted.  Are  you 
ready  to  go?  You  MUST  go.  There  are  people  you  must  meet 
who  will  shape  all  your  future  career,  you  cannot  meet  them 
here,  only  in  Pars ;  in  London  also  you  have  a  work  to  do 
very  soon,  sooner  than  you  can  imagine.  Look,  don't  you 
see  the  letters,  they  are  vivid  to  me,  you  must  see  them, 
'Come  on  La  Gascogne,  sails  August  9th.  Dr.  Maxwell,  Mrs. 
Finchley,  Lydia  O'Shanuon,  you  and  I,  are  all  going,  and  we 
shall  have  lovely  times  across  the  water.  The  dispatch  will 
be  at  Dr.  Maxwell's  house  soon  after  you  get  back.  Count 
Katolowynsld  has  changed  his  mind,  he  will  not  prosecute, 
he  sees  it's  of  no  use  ;  but  he  will  follow  us  to  Europe.  Soon 
after  we  get  there,  business  will  call  him  to  Russia,  a  mes- 
sage from  the  Czar ;  the  Count  is  a  great  nobleman,  and  one 
of  the  most  reliable  spies  in  the  pay  of  the  Government ;  the 
message  will  come  from  the  Czar  direct,  he  will  know  the 
cipher  and  obey  instantly;  there  will  be  no  war  between 
England  and  Russia  for  many  years,  though  the  papers  will 
go  on  declaring  it  imminent." 

Proceeding  in  similar  strain,  passing  rapidly  from  point 
•  to  point,  Zenophon  outlined  the  future  of  nations  as  well  as 
individuals,  with  an  ease  and  apparent  certainty  that  fairly 
startled  Mr.  Templeton,  who  could  not  understand  how  any- 
body, no  matter  how  clairvoyant,  could  thus  map  out  the 
future.  He  could  understand  how  Swedenborg  might  des- 
cribe a  fire  already  burning  in  Stockholm  while  he  was  far 
away,  but  prediction  of  coming  events  he  could  not  compre- 


114  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

hend,  and  being  pastor  of  a  Freewill  Baptist  Church,  he  had 
a  strong  anti-Calvinistic  horror  of  the  doctrine  of  predestina- 
tion. Seeing  that  Zenophon  was  decidedly  in  a  "superior 
condition,"  he  put  this  question  to  whatever  power  might  be 
able  to  answer  it  through  its  agency — If  God  endows  man 
with  freedom  of  will, — and  without  such  freedom  I  utterly 
fail  to  see  how  any  man  can  be  either  virtuous  or  vicious  in 
any  moral  sense — how  can  any  power  foretell  'the  future 
without  coercing  human  wills,  and  thereby  nullifying  the  pur- 
pose of  the  Infinite — a  result  self  evidently  impossible  ? 

In  soft,  but  decided  accents,  the  boy  made  answer  in 
these  words:  " Prophecy,  that  greatest  of  all  spiritual  gifts, 
is  not,  in  any  sense,  as  you  and  many  others  imagine,  fortune- 
telling,  not  as  though  every  detail  of  each  human  career  were 
planned  out  so  that  it  must  occur  just  so,  and  at  just  such  a 
time.  There  is,  however,  a  clear-seeing  faculty  of  spirit, 
which  wherever  possessed,  enables  whoever  enjoys  it  to  see 
the  general  drift  of  human  occurrences,  for  not  only  must  we 
recognize  an  immutable  law  or  order  in  the  universe,  we  must, 
if  we  are  logical,  attribute  for esight  to  superior  intelligence. 
Speaking  of  your  own  personal  career,  we  discern  you  to  be  a 
man  of  more  than  average  conscientiousness ;  we  know  you 
are  superior  to  the  corroding  influence  of  monetary  gain, 
when  offers  of  advancement  are  not  in  the  way  of  loyalty  to 
sense  of  duty ;  we  see  the  powers  which  are  about  you,  we 
know  the  influences  to  which  you  are  most  subject,  and  we 
are  also  conscious  that  you  have  been  selected  to  perform  an 
important  mission,  which,  however,  you  could  put  from  you, 
were  you  to  sin  against  your  convictions.  This,  however,  is 
well  nigh  impossible  for  you,  for  when  a  soul  has  awakened/ 
as  you  have,  to  love  of  truth,  the  affections  being  wisely 
directed,  there  is  little  likehood  of  material  interests  exerting 
a  too  powerful  sway  over  conduct.  We  observe  further  that, 
in  your  case,  there  will  not  be  a  strong  worldly  inducement 
for  you  to  back-slide.  Your  mother,  who  is,  at  present,  the 
woman  of  all  others  nearest  and  dearest  to  you,  will  be 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  115 

increasingly  your  coadjutor  in  every  ennobling  step  you  take 
on  your  own  and  other's  behalf,  and  the  lady  who  is  to  be 
your  wife  (to  whom  you  have  not  yet  proposed,  but  who  is 
growing  more  and  move  into  your  ideal  of  womanhood,  while 
you  are  fast  becoming  her  hero,  though  she  never  thinks  of 
you  in  the  light  of  a  future  husband)  will  be,  in  all  respects, 
well  calculated  to  keep  you  firm  in  the  path  outlined  by  those 
who  direct  your  steps. 

Now  for  the  affairs  of  Europe.  The  invisible  world  is  not 
ruled  according  to  the  no-law  theory.  There  is  a  perfect  sys- 
tem of  government  there  combining  all  the  best  elements  of 
theocracy,  paternalism,  monarchy  and  republicanism,  though 
celestial  government  is  like  no  form  of  government  now  on 
earth.  It  is  occasionally  faintly  outlined  by  such  writers  as 
Henry  Bulwer  (Lord  Lytton),  and  others  who  are  not  simply 
novelists,  but  inspired  genii.  When  you  better  comprehend 
this  wise  government,  you  will  see  something  of  the  law,  which 
enables  the  seer  to  foretell  coming  events. 

After  about  an  hour's  converse  on  all  sorts  of  topics,  the 
man  and  boy — who  had,  by  this  time,  grown  to  highly  esteem 
each  other — separated,  as  Mr.  Templeton  wanted  to  be  back 
at  Dr.  Maxwell's  by  seven  o'clock  for  dinner,  as  he  knew 
arrangements  had  been  made  for  a  special  seance  immediately 
after. 

On  reaching  the  house,  he  found  everything  just  as  usual 
to  all  appearance,  though  there  was  a  feeling  of  agitation  in 
the  air,  as  if  some  surprising  event  were  about  to  transpire, 
or  had  already  taken  place.  If  it  be  true  that  "coming 
events  cast  their  shadows  before  them,"  this  was  not  sur- 
prising, as  the  circumstances  of  the  evening  more  than 
verified  all  suspicions. 

After  dinner  the  party  seated  themselves  around  a  large 
centre  table  in  the  library,  in  a  seemingly  purposeless  man- 
ner. Mrs.  Catsleigh  was  the  only  visitor,  and  she  was 
particularly  instructed  to  come  alone ;  to  insure  this,  a  car- 
riage containing^  Mrs.  Finchley  and  Miss  O'Shannon  had 


116  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

gone  to  pick  her  up,  just  as  she  was  thinking  where  she  had 
better  take  her  dinner  (she  never  liked  to  board  regularly, 
and  in  warm  weather  a  restaurant  she  had  visited  three  times 
always  seemed  stifling  to  her,  and  the  food  unpalatable). 

She  gladly  accepted  an  invitation  to  dinner,  and  made 
herself  very  agreeable  at  table,  and  being  simply  dressed  in 
white  muslin,  with  japonicas  in  her  hair  and  corsage,  she  did 
not  appear  so  conspicuous  as  on  previous  occasions. 

Mrs.  Catsleigh,  who  had  exercised  clairvoyance  in  child- 
hood, soon  began  to  shudder  as  though  a  current  of  cold  air 
were  passing  down  her  spine,  but  on  being  asked  what  she 
saw  or  felt,  she  answered  "  Oh,  nothing." 

Mrs.  Pushing  had  advised  her  to  relinquish  mediumship 
altogether,  declaring  it  incompatible  with  pure  "Christian 
Science,"  and  Mrs.  Catsleigh  had  half  yielded  to  the  importun- 
ities of  her  instructress;  but  whenever  she  was  in  Mrs. Finch- 
ley's  company,  she  felt  the  old  sensations  (not  at  all  unpleasant 
ones),  quite  enough  to  remind  her  that  it  is  easy  to  deny  what  one 
will  with  the  lip,  but  far  more  difficult  to  banish  experiences 
which  pertain  legitimately  to  the  psychic  department  of  science 
and  human  experience.  As  the  conversation  drifted  to  the 
proceedings  of  Psychical  Research  Societies  on  both  sides  of 
the  Atlantic,  Dr.  Maxwell  commented  forcibly  upon  the  silly 
attitude  of  many  committees ;  some  of  them  being  strongly 
addicted  to  a  narrow  form  of  theology,  which  they  are  deter- 
mined to  uphold  in  spite  of  everything,  while  others  are  so 
completely  wedded  to  agnosticism  that  they  do  not  wish  to 
know  anything  about  what  they  have  already  styled  "  unknow- 
able" but  what  is,  in  reality,  simply  the  at-present-unknown. 

As  they  were  talking,  a  slight  tremulous  electric  move- 
ment was  felt  traveling  round  the  circle,  influencing  all  the 
sitters.  Mrs.  Finchley  was  the  first  to  give  voice  to  the 
influence,  which  made  its  presence  felt  thus  palpably. 

"Dear  friends,"  she  began,  "before  we  finish  our  sit- 
ting, we  shall  receive  news  telling  us  cf  the  need  for  our 
presence  in  Europe  and  the  blessings  which  will  accure  to  us 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  117 

from  an  Atlantic  voyage.  Our  time  of  absence  from  home 
will  be  brief  but  very  fruitful.  Prof,  de  Montmarte  and 
Heloise  have  already  sent  us  word;  -we  ahall  receive  a  tele- 
gram from  the  Professor  and  a  pyschic  visit  from  his 
daughter  this  evening  in  this  room." 

Scarcely  had  Mrs.  Finchley  ceased  speaking,  when  a 
clear,  bell-like  voice  rang  out  in  a  soft,  silvery  peal  of  subdued 
laughter :  "  I've  come  first  to  deliver  my  message  in  person ; 
papa  has  sent  his  under  the  ocean.  You  must  visit  us  at 
once.  La  Gascogne  sails  on  the  th  and  that  will  get  you  to 
Havre  by  the  17th,  as  she  makes  the  passage  in  this  weather 
in  eight  days  easily ;  then  you  can  be  at  our  house  the  same 
evening.  This  is  important  business,  and  you  remember  our 
compact ;  I  shall  always  keep  you  to  the  terms  of  our  agree- 
ment. When  there's  a  special  reason  for  you  and  papa 
meeting,  I  am  to  inform  you  by  occult  telegraphy,  and  papa's 
letters  are  to  confirm  the  reality  of  my  visit  and  the  truth  of 
what  I  have  told  you." 

As  the  voice  ceased,  the  door-bell  rang  loudly  (messenger 
boys  usually  ring  thus  to  give  people  a  sense  of  the  impor- 
tance of  the  messages  they  bear,  -however  lowly  may  be  their 
estimate  of  themselves).  Not  liking  to  interfere  with  a  sea?ice, 
the  page  gently  slipped  the  cablegram,  which  had  arrived 
under  the  library  door.  Mr.  Templeton  picked  it  up  and, 
being  asked  to  open  it,  read  as  follows:  "Very  important 
business  requires  you  here  at  once.  Yourself,  aunt  and  three 
visitors.  You  can  and  will  come.  Jerome  de  Montmarte." 

No  sooner  had  they  received  these  tidings  than  an  officer 
called  at  the  house  to  inquire  for  Count  Katolowynski,  whose 
presence  he  declared  was  very  greatly  needed  in  Russia.  This 
interruption  to  the  proceedings  proved  an  agreeable  one,  as 
Col.  Ozokoff  Petrovonovonska  was  one  of  the  St.  Petersburg 
celebrities,  who  in  years  gone  by  had  been  convinced  of  the 
existence  of  unseen  forces  operating  on  man,  through  his 
remarkable  experiences  with  that  most  gifted  medium,  Daniel 
Dunglas  Home.  The  Colonel  was  a  high-bred  Russian  of  the 


118  ONESIMUS  TEMPLE  TON 

noblest  type,  an  officer  of  unimpeachable  integrity  though 
well  versed  in  all  the  intricate  diplomacy  of  the  Russian 
Secret  Service. 

Count  Katolowynski  arrived  soon  after,  purposing  to 
re-capture  Zenophon  by  fair  means  or  foul.  His  indignation 
since  his  last  interview  with  those  whom  he  called  the  boy's 
"dastardly  captors,"  had  risen  to  a  pitch  of  boiling  frenzy. 
To  be  thwarted  in  any  of  his  designs  was  gall  and  wormwood 
to  his  imperial  temper,  while  to  lose  the  chief  instrument  in 
carrying  out  his  deep-laid  plans  for  money-making  and  self- 
aggrandizement,  goaded  him  to  lawless  desperation.  He  car- 
ried with  him  a  jeweled  stilleto  wherever  he  went — a  deadly 
toy,  but  so  fascinating  in  its  appearance  that  many  delicate 
ladies  would  play  with  it  as  they  would  with  a  fan  or  bracelet. 
Determining  to  use  force  if  persuasion  and  threatenings  alike 
failed,  though  not  otherwise, — the  Count  in  faultless  evening 
attire,  blazing  with  diamonds,  his  magnificent  crown  of  golden 
hair  scintillating  like  an  aureole  about  his  head,  his  green  eyes 
flashing  like  huge  emeralds  of  the  purest  water,  did  indeed 
appear  a  formidable  adversary  to  encounter. 

Had  Zenophon  been  at 'Dr.  Maxwell's  instead  of  at  North- 
walk,  he  would  no  doubt  have  seized  the  boy  and  walked  off 
with  him  quietly,  had  such  a  course  been  feasible,  but  under 
present  circumstances  he  was  baffled,  and  to  be  foiled  was  in 
his  case  an  incentive  to  deadly  revenge  on  his  foilers.  With 
mischief  in  his  eyes  though  politeness  on  his  tongue,  he 
entered  the  library  unannounced,  having  overawed  the  page 
at  the  door;  but  when  just  about  to  prefer  his  claim,  a  gentle- 
man came  up  to  him  with  stately  courtesy  and  friendly  famil- 
iarity combined,  saying:  "My  good  fellow,  you  and  I  are  to 
travel  together  to  St.  Petersburg.  I  am  going  on  La  Gascogne 
to  Havre ;  she  sails  on  the  9th.  It  is  the  gracious  will  of  our 
Sovereign  that  we  make  the  journey  to  Russia  together." 

"  Delighted,  I'm  sure,"replied  Count  Katolowynski,  though 
he  bit  his  lip  with  inward  vexation.  Suddenly  recollecting 
himself,  however,  he  turned  to  Dr.  Maxwell,  and  said  rather 


ONS8IMUS  TEMPLETON  119 

contemptuously,  though  not  without  some  simulated  affability, 
"How  do  you  and  Zcnophon  get  on  together?  I  shall  want 
my  young  friend  to  attend  me  on  the  voyage;  the  journey 
would  be  intolerable  without  him ;  he  does  everything  for  me 
that  I  require." 

"  We  are  going  on  the  same  steamer  ourselves,"  responded 
the  gentleman  addressed,  "  so  we  shall  all  be  able,  I  hope,  to 
be  of  service  to  each  other.  I  think  Zenophon  had  better 
remain  where  he  is  till  we  sail,  but  I  shall  defer  quite  gladly 
to  our  new  friend  Col.  Petrovonovonska's  decision." 

"  I  propose,"  said  the  Colonel,  "  that  the  powers  beyond 
us  decide.  I  am  a  Spiritualist,  as  every  one  who  knows  me 
knows  well,  and  for  twenty-seven  years  I  have  never  been 
misled  by  any  communication  through  my  wife  and 
daughter." 

Again  the  voice  of  Heloise  rang  through  the  apartment, 
striking  terror  to  the  Count,  but  giving  joy  and  satisfaction  to 
all  the  others :  "  Zenophon  belongs  to  us ;  he  is  Azoriel's  pro. 
tege;  let  any  one  seek,  at  his  peril,  to  tamper  with  heaven's 
lightning."  Other  messages  followed,  and  when  Mrs.  Finch- 
ley  was  influenced  by  the  good  Colonel's  mother,  the  sturdy 
Russian  was  fairly  overcome.  At  midnight  they  separated  to 
their  various  houses,  and  peace  reigned  over  all. 


120  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 


CHAPTER  XI. 


BOOKED  IN  THE  CRADLE  OF  THE  DEEP. 


"  The  waves  are  gayly  dancing, 

The  ship  sails  bravely  on, 
The  stars,  the  night  enhancing, 

Shine  large  when  day  has  gone. 
The  night  is  cool  and  lighted 

With  phosphorescent  gleam, 
The  porpoises  are  gamb'ling 

Beneath  the  moon's  soft  beam  ; 
Upon  the  deck  reclining 

Are  trav'lers  from  afar  ; 
They  meet  upon  the  waters, 

And  'neath  the  polar  star, 
Enjoy  for  one  brief  octave 

A  friendship  which  will  burn 
Deep  in  their  hearts  forever, 

For  from  life's  mystic  urn 
They've  drank  together  golden  wine, 

And  thus  are  linked  to  Smyrna's  vine." 


After  the  startling  tidings  thus  mystically  communicated, 
active  preparations  were  hastily  made  for  the  quickly  impend- 
ing departure.  Mr.  Templeton  was  at  first  somewhat 
reluctant  to  accompany  Dr.  Maxwell  and  the  others  on  an 
excursion,  which  was  to  cost  him  nothing — all  the  expenses 
of  the  journey  and  entertainment  of  the  whole  party  in  Paris 
being  met  by  Professor  De  Montmarte,  who  was  a  man  of 
large  means  and  yet  larger  generosity.  How  this  dis- 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  121 

tinguished  scientist  came  into  possession  of  his  wealth,  and 
how  he  employed  it  may  be  of  interest  to  those  of  our  readers 
who  are  seeking  a  solution  of  the  financial  problem  of  the 
day,  and  can  scarcely  see  how  in  the  face  of  such  awful,  glar- 
ing destitution  as  now  prevails  in  all  the  great  cities  of  the 
world,  a  noble-minded  man  can  live  in  luxury,  while  mul- 
titudes are  in  poverty  about  him. 

We  do  not  wish  to  hold  up  Professor  De  Montmarte  as 
an  ideal  hero — an  absolutely  perfect  man, — for  if  there  is  one 
tendency  we  despise  more  than  all  others,  it  is  to  so  exalt 
some  particular  person  that  all  others  appear  contemptible 
by  comparison. 

The  De  Montmartes  were  a  wealthy  family  belonging  to 
the  oldest  and  richest  aristocracy  of  France.  "When  Jerome 
was  a  boy,  his  father  lost  a  considerable  amount  of  property 
at  a  time  when  many  noble  families  were  reduced  to  absolute 
penury,  but  he  sought  to  retrieve  his  fallen  fortunes  in  a  truly 
noble  manner.  Being  heir-at-law  to  a  considerable  tract  of 
country  in  the  south  of  France,  which  no  one  had  undertaken 
to  cultivate,  as  it  was  considered  sterile  even  to  total  unpro- 
ductiveness— this  good  and  far-seeing  man  saw  how  by 
judicious  management  he  could  redeem  the  land  and  thereby 
give  employment  to  a  number  of  workmen  who  were  crying 
out  for  employment,  but  could  get  no  work  whatever.  Many 
of  these  were  sturdy,  stalwart  fellows ;  some  single,  some 
married  and  with  families.  Many  were  too  independent  to 
live  contentedly  upon  alms,  and  were  only  too  glad  to  accept 
Clairmont  De  Montmarte's  offer  to  cultivate  his  land  for 
their  maintenance. 

Living  for  awhile  most  economically  himself — confining 
his  wants  to  actual  necessaries — he  and  his  family — consist- 
ing of  his  wife,  one  son  and  daughter,  aged  respectively  12 
and  14  years — took  up  their  abode  at  Chassonville,  the 
nearest  town  to  the  estate. 

Putting  into  practice  some  remarkable  theories,  dis- 
covered by  himself  while  pursuing  the  study  of  agricultural 


122  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

chemistry,  some  years  earlier,  this  brave  man  and  accomp- 
lished scientist  Bet  to  work  to  fulfil  an  old-time  prediction 
literally,  "  The  wilderness  and  solitary  place  shall  be  made 
glad,  the  desert  shall  bloom  with  the  rose,"  and  sure  enough, 
after  a  year's  hard  labor,  bravely  borne  by  director  and 
operatives  together,  the  first  positive  evidence  that  the 
scheme  was  to  be  a  brilliant  success  crowned  the  efforts  of 
the  noble  crew. 

When  the  produce  of  the  land  was  carried  to  the  city 
markets,  and  there  sold  to  good  advantage,  Mons.  De  Mont- 
marte  called  the  workmen  together  and  asked  them  what 
they  expected  for  their  services.  During  the  preliminary 
operations  they  had  been  supplied  with  house,  food,  clothing 
and  tools  out  of  his  private  funds,  but  had  received  no  wages. 

After  listening  to  the  very  modest  request  of  the  men, 
the  good  philanthropist  gave  them  three  times  the  amount 
they  asked,  thereby  furnishing  them  with  ample  funds  to  set 
up  in  business  for  themselves,  should  they  desire  to  do  so. 
Not  a  single  man  left  his  employ.  They  were  perfectly  free 
to  leave  at  any  moment,  but  they  so  loved  their  benefactor, 
the  thought  of  leaving  him  was  most  painful  to  them  all. 

Tear  after  year  the  estates  continued  to  improve,  growing 
more  and  more  productive  and  remunerative,  until  in  1887, 
when  Dr.  Maxwell  and  his  friends  accepted  Professor  Jerome 
De  Montmarte's  invitation  to  his  Parisian  mansion,  that 
gentleman's  income  amounted  to  800,000  francs  per  annum, 
i.  e.,  $160,000,  or  £40,000,  not  a  single  fraction  of  which  was 
gained  at  the  expense  of  any  living  creature,  but  in  a  manner 
adding  greatly  to  the  prosperity  of  all  the  workers. 

Eeaders  of  Count  Tolstoi's  "What  To  Do,"  if  they 
endorse  all  the  views  of  that  exceptionally  conscientious  and 
benevolent,  though  decidedly  eccentric,  Russian  nobleman, 
may  object  to  Professor  De  Montmarte's  exceptionally  large 
income,  and  members  of  the  Nationalist  clubs,  now  being 
formed  all  over  England  and  America,  taking,  as  a  basis,  the 
excellent  system  advocated  by  Edward  Bellamy,  in  "Looking 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  123 

Backward,"  may  use  the  words  of  Paul  and  exclaim,  "  I  show 
you  a  more  excellent  way."  Possibly  there  is  a  more  excel- 
lent way,  and  the  Nationalists  are  certainly  better  entitled 
than  any  other  party,  at  present,  to  claim  to  have  found 
it.  The  point,  however,  we  desire  to  emphasize  is  that 
there  are  certainly  diametrically  opposite  ways  of  becoming 
rich — the  diabolical  way,  a  method  utterly  unjustifiable, 
viz. :  that  of  enriching  one's  self  by  robbing  others ;  and  the 
rational,  humane  way  of  reaping  advantages  jointly  with 
others,  by  so  conducting  business  as  to  add  to  the  current 
wealth  of  the  world,  by  developing  latent  but  as  yet  un- 
acknowledged natural  resources. 

A  less  intelligent  man  than  Clairmont  De  Montmarte 
would  have  lived  on  the  reduced  income  remaining  to  him 
after  his  losses.  He  would  have  been  poorer,  but  it  would  be 
difficult  to  see  how  his  poverty  would  have  enriched  any  poor 
people,  as  the  money  which  had  gone  from  him  might  have 
been  directed  into  a  channel  where  it  would  have  increased 
the  power  of  tyranny  and  monopoly,  and  he  could  have  offered 
no  offset. 

But,  following  the  trend  of  pure  science,  he  took  into 
partnership  with  himself  a  number  of  destitute  people,  the 
cause  of  whose  destitution  was  lack  of  employment.  These 
people  were  not  brought  into  competition  with  their  needy 
fellow  creatures  in  a  manner  to  increase  the  number  of  appli- 
cants for  positions  while  the  number  of  positions  remained 
about  stationary.  Positions  were  not  simply  found,  they 
were  created  for  the  applicants,  and  so  created  that  the  earth 
itself  was  made  to  yield  up  the  treasures  which  had  been  for 
ages  forming  in  her  bosom,  awaiting  the  time  when  some  in- 
telligent mind  should  learn  the  secret  of  how  to  unlock  her 
treasure-house. 

While  we  have  been  explaining  something  of  Professer 
De  Montmarte's  theory  of  wealth  and  his  ideas  on  permissible 
and  non-permissible  property,  we  have  left  our  friends  to 
prepare  for  the  joufney.  Tuesday,  August  9,  1887,  was  a 


124  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

sweltering  day  in  New  York.  La  Gascogne  was  to  sail  at 
3  P.  M.  During  the  morning,  Dr.  Maxwell  and  Mr.  Temple- 
ton  went  out  to  make  final  purchases  and  say  good-bye  to 
particular  friends. 

Dr.  Gustav  Zimmerman,  a  young  graduate  of  the  Vienna 
Medical  University,  had  taken  up  his  abode  at  312  Sycamore 
avenue.  Though  only  twenty- four  years  of  age,  this  young 
physician  could  be  safely  entrusted  with  the  most  difficult 
cases ;  he  was  to  remain  as  Dr.  Maxwell's  assistant,  after  that 
gentleman's  return  from  Europe.  Circulars  had  been  sent  to 
all  Dr.  Maxwell's  friends  and  patients,  informing  them  that 
Dr.  Zimmerman  fully  represented  Dr.  Maxwell  in  his  absence, 
•ven  to  the  conduct  of  the  Wednesday  afternoon  Bible  Class, 
which  was  never  discontinued. 

All  arrangements  having  been  easily  and  effectively  made 
for  carrying  on  his  work,  Dr.  Maxwell  had  no  fear  of  things 
going  wrong  during  his  absence ;  he  could  therefore  give 
himself  up  thoroughly  to  his  new  engagements  unhampered 
by  the  stupid  egotism  which  causes  many  people  to  feel  and 
act  as  though  they  had  so  singular  a  commission  from  the 
Almighty  that  were  they  to  pass  from  earth  the  world  would 
collapse ;  while,  as  it  is,  nothing  can  possibly  go  properly 
except  in  that  minute  speck  of  territory  which  is  the  imme- 
diate scene  of  their  personal  exertions. 

Mrs.  O'Shannon  and  her  youngest  daughter  had  left  the 
day  previous  for  the  White  Mountains,  glad  to  allow  Lydia 
the  advantage  of  a  sojourn  in  Paris  under  such  exceptionally 
favorable  chaperonage.  By  reaching  the  landing  stage  at 
2.30,  and  literally  forcing  their  way  through  a  crowd  of  people 
all  highly  excited,  many  of  them  jabbering  incessantly  about 
their  luggage,  which  either  had  not  arrived  at  the  pier,  or 
had  been  misdirected, — put  into  a  wrong  stateroom  or  other- 
wise improperly  dealt  with, — our  party  found  themselves  at 
length  on  the  deck  of  an  exceptionally  commodious  steamer. 

Though  the  rates  are  rather  higher  on  the  best  French 
and  German  steamers  than  on  some  of  the  English  lines, 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  123 

many  people  are  quite  willing  to  pay  a  little  extra  to  avoid 
crossing  the  channel  when  bound  direct  for  the  continent,  and 
the  difference  in  price  is  after  all  only  apparent,  as  the  English 
steamers  land  at  Liverpool,  consequently  passengers  en  route 
for  Paris  must  pay  passage  from  Liverpool  to  London  and 
thence  to  France ;  while  the  French  company  takes  its  pas- 
sengers direct  to  Havre,  from  which  port  the  additional  fare 
is  a  mere  trifle.  Another  reason  why  the  French  steamers 
are  so  popular  is  that  the  service  is  almost  perfect  and  the 
cooking  beyond  criticism.  Drawbacks  there  are  on  all  lines, 
many  inside  rooms  being  small,  and  close  in  hot  weather. 
These  are,  of  course,  cheaper  than  the  best  rooms,  but  persons 
who  can  afford  it,  and  wish  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  travel  under 
the  most  favorable  conditions,  find  it  very  poor  economy  to 
pay  $80  instead  of  $100  during  the  busy  season.  Our  party 
had  been  furnished  with  two  of  the  very  best  rooms  on  the 
vessel  by  Prof.  De.Montmarte,  who  had  ordered  and  paid  for 
them  before  inviting  his  guests. 

Dr.  Maxwell  and  Mr.  Templeton  shared  an  immense 
room,  with  two  spacious  berths,  and  a  sofa  which  was  allotted 
to  Zenophon,  who  much  preferred  it  to  a  berth.  The  two 
ladies  had  one  of  the  very  finest  rooms  on  board,  containing 
three  full-sized  berths  and  a  luxurious  sofa.  They  were  all 
good  sailors  (Mr.  Templeton  was  the  only  doubtful  one)  and 
anticipated  much  pleasure  on  the  voyage. 

At  3.15  the  steamer  set  sail  amid  a  perfect  babel  of 
voices  aiid  noises  of  every  description  ;  tears  flow  freely  down 
many  cheeks,  and  handkerchiefs  waved  until  friends  on  shore 
could  not  possibly  catch  the  faintest  glimpse  of  them.  Soon, 
however,  everybody  settled  down  to  the  situation,  though  it 
must4not  be  supposed  that  all  were  satisfied  with  their  rooms 
or  the  places  assigned  to  them  at  the  table  ;  and  (as  is  usually 
the  case)  those  who  had  paid  the  least  expected  the  very  finest 
accommodation,  and  complaiued  most  bitterly  when  they  had 
to  put  up  with  second  best.  At  six  o'clock  the  gong  sounded 
for  dinner,  and  all  the  passengers  hastened  to  the  sumptuous 


126  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

dining  saloon,  where  a  repast  was  spread  for  them  equaling 
anything  procurable  in  the  finest  Parisian  restaurants. 

The  chief  steward, — an  impressive  young  man,  faultlessly 
dressed,  evidently  enamored  of  his  own  attractions,  with  dark 
wavy  hair  and  a  magnificent  moustache, — superintended  the 
seating  of  the  guests,  and  made  himself  intensely  popular  with 
almost  every  one  before  the  meal  was  over.  As  there  were 
many  brilliant  persons  on  board,  and  French  people  are  by 
no  means  reticent  and  undemonstrative  like  the  English,  the 
meal  was  a  very  sociable  one.  They  did  nots  tolidly  wait  for 
introductions  when  there  was  no  one  who  could  introduce 
them,  as  they  were  nearly  all  entire  strangers  to  each  other; 
they  introduced  themselves,  talked  across  the  table  as  well  as 
tc  their  neighbors,  and  made  themselves  generally  entertain- 
ing. Seated  next  to  Mr.  Finchley  was  a  lady  whom  no  one 
could  pass  without  notice,  if  brought  into  any  kind  of  relation 
with  her ;  for  though  as  modest  and  retiring  as  the  most 
cultured  and  unassuming  of  women  could  well  be,  there  was  a 
something  about  her  fine  expressive  countenance  and  nobly 
shaped  head  which  called  forth  an  involuntary  tribute  of 
interested  and  respectful  recognition.  Mrs.  Finchley  could 
not  help  observing  that  this  lady  partook  very  sparingly  of  the 
delicacies  set  before  her,  and  her  refusal  of  claret  was  so 
decided  as  to  excite  great  surprise  among  the  French  people 
present,  who  think  no  more  of  drinking  vin  ordinaire  at  lunch 
and  dinner  than  Americans  think  of  taking  iced  water. 

This  lady,  who  was  very  plainly  but  elegantly  dressed, 
was  evidently  of  noble  birth;  her  features  were  intensely 
aristocratic,  and  her  imperial  eyes  showed  her  to  be  a  descend- 
ant of  a  house  long  accustomed  to  command.  She  appeared 
quite  youthful,  yet  thoroughly  mature  in  mind  as  well  as 
body.  When  she  smiled  at  a  really  good,  clean  joke,  she 
looked  about  thirty-five ;  when  her  face  showed  displeasure  at 
at  some  innuendo  which  she  detested,  she  appeared  much 
older.  Though  she  took  her  meal  almost  in  silence,  she 
addressed  a  few  kindly  remarks  to  Mrs.  Finchley,  who  evi- 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  127 

dently  impressed  her  favorably,  and  once  she  performed  a 
gentle  act  of  gracious  courtesy  to  a  timid  girl  on  her  left,  by 
helping  her  out  of  an  embarrassing  position,  with  the  ease 
and  grace  of  a  polished  diplomat ;  but  otherwise  she  appeared 
not  to  seek  the  acquaintance  or  her  fellow-passengers.  She 
knew  she  attracted  some  little  attention,  but  refused  to  notice 
it,  and  thereby  avoided  being  bored  with  the  inane  questions 
of  inquisitive  tourists,  whose  chief  object  in  life  seems  to  be 
to  practice  the  trade  of  busybody. 

About  ten  o'clock, — the  moon  having  risen, — a  gentle 
breeze  arose  from  the  west,  making  the  night  delightful  after 
the  sultry  day.  The  deck  was  filled  with  passengers,  loath 
to  leave  their  steamer  chairs,  or  to  cease  promenading  or  lean- 
ing over  the  rails  to  watch  the  phosphorescent  light  upon  the 
water,  which  was  extremely  vivid. 

Mrs.  Finchley  and  Mrs.  O'Shannon  gazed  amusedly  at 
some  of  the  names  on  the  chairs.  After  laughing  quietly  at 
Porke  A.  Hogg,  Chicago,  Ambrose  G.  Pigg,  Elgin,  111.,  Mrs. 
Fumbling  Cockroach,  New  York,  Algernon  C.  Bootlesheimer 
Cincinnati,  and  many  others  equally  peculiar,  they  came  to  an 
occupied  chair  placed  close  against  the  railing  of  the  ship,  on 
which  the  name  of  Baroness  von  Eaglebald  stood  out  in  bold 
relief.  Looking  at  the  occupant  of  the  chair,  who  was  just 
then  rising  to  get  a  better  view  of  some  particularly  fine  phos- 
phorescent phenomena,  concerning  which  the  multitude  were 
ejaculating  delightedly,  they  at  once  recognized  their  interest- 
ing tablemate,  who,  bowing  and  smiling  most  graciously,  made 
some  pleasant  and  instructive  comments  on  the  causes  of  such 
beautiful  phosphorescent  illuminations  following  upon  hot 
and  trying  days,  and  then,  her  face  lighting  up  with  a  glow 
resembling  inspiration,  continued : 

"I  have  just  been  reading  in  Cattlefield's  'Origin  of 
Human  Emotion/  that,  as  the  fairest  scenes  in  nature  are 
only  shown  to  us  after  some  period  of  trying  weather,  so  the 
intensest  joys  of  which  human  beings  are  capable  can  only  be 
felt  after  we  have  undergone  some  educational  discipline  in- 


128  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

volving  what  we  often,  in  our  ignorance,  designate  distress, 
I  have  had  many  trials,  but  have  learned  to  be  thankful  for 
every  one  of  them ;  but,  pardon  me,  I  am  soliloquizing  aloud, 
still  I  know  you  agree  with  me ;  I  know  at  once  with  whom  I 
can  converse  freely  to  our  mutual  advantage,  and  you  are 
ready  for  more,  much  more  than  I  can  express.  I  cannot  say 
let  us  be  friends ;  we  are  friends,  and  we  know  it." 

Though  attractive  when  in  repose  and  particularly  win- 
ning when  expressing  mirthful  feeling,  the  Baroness'  face 
was  almost  that  of  an  angel  when  stirred  by  deep  spiritual 
emotion,  and  Mrs.  Finchley  was  just  the  woman  to  call  out 
the  holiest  feelings  from  a  deep  and  loving  nature,  while  Lydia 
O'Shannon,  who  was  hourly  ripening  into  a  very  graceful 
and  true  woman,  was  just  the  sort  of  girl  to  attract  a  studious, 
earnest  women  who  had  seen  something  of  life  in  all  its 
phases,  and  knew  how  to  distinguish  unerringly  between  the 
pure  modesty  of  a  thoroughly  chaste  nature  and  the  simper- 
ing, blushing  prudery  of  a  deceitful  make-believe. 

The  three  ladies  remained  chatting  for  about  half  an 
hour  until  Dr.  Maxwell  and  Mr.  Templeton  joined  them ;  after 
a  few  polite  words  to  the  gentlemen  the  Baroness  said  she 
was  about  to  retire  for  the  night  but  hoped  to  renew  their 
acquaintance  on  the  morrow. 

"  I  hope  you  have  a  pleasant  room,"  said  Mrs.  Finchley, 
"  our  rooms  are  delightful." 

"  Oh  yes,  thank  you,"  replied  the  Baroness,  but  with  the 
air  of  a  person  who  considered  a  stateroom  a  matter  of  no 
importance  whatever. 

About  midnight  Mrs.  Finchley  and  Miss  O'Shannon — 
who  had  retired  to  their  berths  but  were  not  asleep — over- 
heard a  conversation  in  French,  very  excited  on  one  side  but 
very  calm  on  the  other.  The  calm  voice  was  undoubtedly 
that  of  the  Baroness  who  was  defending  her  right  to  occupy  a 
lounge  in  the  ladies'  drawing-room,  against  the  clamorous 
importunities  of  the  stewardess  who  insisted  that  under  no 
consideration  were  passengers  permitted  to  remain  anywhere 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  129 

at  night  but  in  their  staterooms,  unless  they  promenaded  the 
deck,  and  in  that  case,  their  feet  must  move  silently  as  a  cat's, 
or  the  other  passengers  would  be  made  angry  and  broken  of 
their  rest.  Despite  all  vociferations,  the  Baroness  continued 
to  recline  on  the  sofa  in  the  drawing-room  clad  in  an  elegant, 
flowing  robe  of  white  flannel  with  a  girdle  round  her  waist 
and  a  traveling  cloak  lined  with  rich  fur  over  the  dress;  her 
feet  were  sliod  in  easy  walking  boots,  and  in  that  costume  and 
in  that  place  she  resolved  to  sleep ;  her  stateroom,  she 
declared,  was  execrable,  illy  ventilated  and  occupied  by  a 
woman  who  insisted  on  excluding  what  little  air  could  enter 
through  the  one  small  window  which  opened  upon  a  gang- 
way. 

Mrs.  Finchley  at  once  thought  how  comfortable  the 
Baroness  might  be  in  her  room,  as  one  berth  and  the  sofa 
were  unoccupied — and  most  graciously  offered  her  the  accom- 
modation ;  having  quickly  attired  herself,  she  went  directly 
to  the  Baroness,  and  in  her  gentlest  and  most  persuasive 
manner,  urged  her  to  accept  the  third  part  of  her  room ;  the 
noble  woman,  however,  though  evidently  much  pleased  and 
even  grateful  for  Mrs.  Finchley's  kind  solicitude,  steadily 
refused ;  it  was  a  matter  of  principle  with  her  she  said,  to 
hold  a  position  she  felt  to  be  right  when  she  had  once  taken 
it,  and  she  claimed  her  occupancy  of  a  lounge  in  the  ladies' 
drawing-room  was  hers  by  right  when  she  was  not  interfering 
with  the  convenience  of  other  passengers  :  and  then  smilingly 
declared  that  she'really  hated  being  cooped  up  in  staterooms 
and  never  slept  while  traveling  except  in  the  costume  in  which 
Mrs.  Finchley  then  beheld  her. 

Mme.  Chouxfleur  (the  stewardess),  was  enraged  and  said 
the  Captain  should  be  at  once  informed.  When  that  officer 
heard  the  case*  much  exaggerated  by  the  greatly  offended 
woman,  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  replied,  "eertainment, 
il  ne  faut  pas"  thinking  probably  that  some  vulgar,  half 
drunken  person  had  been  interfering  with  the  comfort  of  some 
one— but  when  he  met  Mrs.  Finchley  and  heard  her  side  of 


130  QNESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

the  story,  his  attitude  changed  immediately,  and  on  being 
introduced  to  La  JBaronne,  he  was  obsequiousness  personified. 
This  incident  being  soon  noised  abroad,  the  Baroness  became 
the  center  of  much  interest ;  she  hated  notoriety  and  avoided 
it  as  much  as  possible ;  but  without  absolute  rudeness  and 
unkindness,  she  could  not  refuse  to  give  information  to  some 
earnest  minds  who  approached  her  on  subjects  in  which  she 
was  greatly  interested,  Spiritualism  and  Mental  Science 
among  the  number. 

(She  had  met  Mrs.  Catsleigh  in  New  York  and  taken 
private  lessons  from  her,  with  which  she  was  measurably 
pleased).  An  original  thinker,  of  deep  and  versatile  genius, 
she  never  failed  to  interest  all  enlightened  minds.  As  a  con- 
versationalist she  was  unusually  happy,  and  was  in  some 
respects  almost  the  equal  of  those  great  women  of  France 
whose  salons  developed  the  art  of  conversation  into  a  science. 

One  evening  in  the  early  part  of  the  voyage,  when  many 
of  the  passengers  were  sick  and  the  music-room  was  almost 
deserted,  Lydia  O'Shannon  sat  down  to  the  piano  and  played 
exquisitely  one  of  Heine's  delicious  nocturnes,  while  the 
Baroness  reclined  at  a  distance  seemingly  asleep.  She  had 
grown  to  feel  very  tenderly  to  the  sensitive  girl  who  strongly 
resembled  one  of  her  own  nieces,  the  beautiful  Countess 
Isidora  di  Padoma,  who  had  married  at  eighteen  a  distin- 
guished Italian  nobleman,  and  was  then  residing  in  Padua, 
whither  the  Baroness  herself  was  bound. 

As  the  music  floated  out  upon  the  evening  breeze,  carry- 
ing healing  to  the  sick,  consolation  to  the  sad,  hope  to  the 
doubting  and  courage  to  the  faint  of  heart,  the  sweet  voice  of 
Heloise  subdued  almost  to  a  whisper,  but  clear  and  sweet  as 
a  nightingale's  trill,  sounded  through  the  salon  like  a  far-off 
echo  of  some  gie&tprima  donna's  tones,  Ave  Maria,  plena  di 
grazie,  sounded  forth  in  sweet,  liquid  Italian,  straight  into 
the  Baroness*  ear ;  then  suddenly  the  song  ceased. 

"  What   can  this  be  ?      Who   can   be    singing    thus  * " 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  131 

inquired  the  stately  lady  starting  from  her  seat,  a  light  of 
pleased  amazement  illumining  her  expressive  face. 

Lydia,  springing  to  her  side,  was  in  her  arms  in  a  mo- 
ment, and  the  elder  and  younger  ladies  were  united  then  and 
there  in  the  embrace  of  true  and  fadeless  friendship.  Heloise 
stood  between  them.  They  both  saw  her,  while  above  their 
heads  they  saw  as  well  as  felt  an  electric  thrill  from  the  un 
seen  presence  of  Azoriel,  which  conveyed  to  both  at  once  an 
idea  which  expressed  itself  spontaneously  in  these  words: 
"We  three  have  the  same  guardian  and  are  in  the  same  circle 
of  souls ;  we  can  never  be  really  separated,  in  time  or  eter- 
nity." 


132  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 


CHAPTEK  XII. 


THE      MYSTIC     AT     HOME. 


"Over  the  mountains  toward  the  sea 
They  told  me  was  a  wondrous  land, 
A  country  free  from  sin  and  doubt, 
From  fear  and  care  ;  upon  whose  strand 
Angelic  beings  talked  with  men, 
And  showed  how  deities  devise 
Divinest  moulds  beyond  our  ken, 
And  how  with  magical  surprise 
A  traveler  once  was  led  by  guide, 
Enveloped  in  a  cloak  of  light 
To  reach  a  mystic  cavern  where 
'Twas  always  day,  yet  always  night. 
A  lamp  perpetual  shed  its  beam 
Across  the  tesellated  floor, 
While  hangings  of  rare  tapestry 
Shrouded  the  massive  golden  door ; 
There  worked  the  alchemists  who  change 
Base  metals  into  burnished  gold, 
Whose  secret  is  alone  revealed 
To  those  who  are  both  pure  and  bold." 

As  the  voyage  progressed,  the  days  and  nights  passed 
rapidly  away  without  a  ripple  to  disturb  the  harmony  of  those 
passengers  who  had  grown  to  look  upon  each  other  in  the 
light  of  dear  friends,  though  their  physical  acquaintance  was 
of  such  recent  origin.  About  twenty  persons  were  vitally 
interested  in  occult  matters  generally ;  about  fifty  more  took 
a  sporadic  interest  in  psychic  phenomena;  a  few  prigs  looked 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  133 

upon  the  whole  subject  with  supercilious  contempt;  while  a 
handful  of  stricitly  "orthodox  believers"  regarded  everything 
except  their  own  dogmas  as  soul  destroying'  heresy.  It  is 
often  very  delightful,  entertaining  and  instructive  to  meet 
with  large  minds  representing  various  schools  of  thought,  out 
of  sight  of  land  for  days  together,  and  hear  them  argue  in  a 
friendly  spirit,  over  doctrines  which  have  lighted  the  fires  of 
the  inquisition  and  sent  men  to  the  rack  in  their  defence. 
Under  the  calmer  skies  of  this  more  liberal  age,  no  gibbet 
looms  in  view  confronting  with  frightful  sufferings  all  who 
dare  to  express  honest  convictions  at  variance  with  the  views 
of  a  reigning  majority,  and  while  travelling,  one  meets  many 
more  enlightened  than  bigoted  people,  as  bigots  are  very  apt 
to  be  confirmed  stay-at-homes,  and  when  they  venture  forth 
into  the  great  world,  they  usually  scent  each  other  out  and 
herd  together  after  the  manner  of  clanish  animals,  who  never 
wander  willingly  into  any  company  outside  their  own  species. 
Exclusive  society  rules,  as  well  as  restrictive  denominational 
customs  are  all  relics  of  the  clanishness  of  undeveloped  races ; 
while  breath  of  sentiment,  liberal  education,  and  all  the  word 
culture  rightly  means,  greatly  enlarges  the  area  in  which  man 
holds  instructive  friendly  converse  with  his  brother. 

Night  after  night,  when  there  were  but  few  people  in  the 
music  room,  LydiaO'Shannon  improvised  sweet  strains  on  the 
grand  piano.  At  first  she  was  left  pretty  much  to  her  im- 
mediate circle  of  friends,  but  soon  the  entrancing  melodies 
grew  so  well  defined,  her  voice  rose  to  such  clear  heights  of 
almost  perfect  tone,  that  one  by  one  men,  women  and  children 
stole  noiselessly  into  the  saloon  and  were  soon  transfixed  with 
wonder  and  delight  at  the  superb  performance  of  so  youthful 
an  artiste. 

"  Is  she  in  training  for  opera  ?  "  "  Has  she  already  come 
out?"  These  and  many  like  questions  were  constantly  asked 
of  her  friends,  to  all  of  which,  calm,  impassive  negatives  were 
quietly  given;  still  the  impression  was  rapidly  gaining 
ground  all  over  the  ship  and  even  in  the  minds  of  Dr. 


134  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

Maxwell  and  Mrs.  Finchley,  that  Lydia  was  destined  to  be  a 
great  songstress;  one  who  would  not  only  score  brilliant 
worldly  success,  charming  the  multitude  by  her  sweet,  clear 
notes  and  wide  range  of  tone,  but  would  in  addition  to  every 
outward  grace,  touch  those  deeper  springs  of  human  feeling 
which  only  vibrate  in  response  to  appeals  which  never  rise 
from  simple  loveliness  of  exterior  form  or  classic  purity  and 
depth  of  song. 

Mr.  Temple  ton  who  constantly  listened  to  the  girl  and 
watched  her  intently  while  his  ears  drank  in  rich  volumes  of 
harmony,  was  beginning — almost  unconsciously  to  himself — 
to  love  her  with  that  deep,  abiding,  growing  affection  of 
which  only  large,  constant  natures  are  capable ;  he  could  not 
well  define  his  feelings  to  himself,  he  was  not  at  all  a  sensuous 
man  and  he  detested  flirtation.  Marriage  he  did  not  think  of 
as  yet,  but  he  was  beginning  to  realize  that  Lydia's  presence 
contributed  something  very  real,  quieting  and  ennobling  to 
his  life ;  he  began  to  feel  that  he  could  be  a  far  wiser  and 
happier  man  in  her  presence  than  removed  far  from  her,  and 
such  a  feeling  is  one  of  the  sweetest  and  surest  tokens  of  the 
dawn  of  pure  and  lasting  love. 

Zenophon,  who  enjoyed  sailing  exceedingly  and  had  been 
much  accustomed  to  the  blue  waters  of  the  Mediterranean 
and  Levant  in  his  childhood,  was  happy  as  the  day  was  long, 
and  nothing  occurred  to  disturb  the  serenity  of  his  enjoyment 
or  to  ruffle  the  feelings  of  his  new  friends.  Count  Katolo- 
wynski  had  been  detained  on  business  of  the  utmost 
importance  which  came  upon  him  like  an  avalanche,  after  he 
made  every  preparation  for  departure  on  "La  Gascogne." 

Col.  Petrovanovonska  had  been  detained  by  the  same 
business,  which  consisted  of  important  negotiations  with  the 
Russian  Minister  at  Washington,  and  other  affairs  of  a  nature 
which  would  brook  no  delay ;  the  two  gentlemen  had  been 
thus  forced  to  forego  their  passage,  which  they  easily  trans- 
ferred at  no  pecuniary  loss,  and  were  now  intending  to  sail  on 
the  Nordeutscher  steamer  "  Teufelheute,"  which  would  set 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  •  135 

sail  for  Bremen  on  the  23d.  Count  Katolowynski's  rage  knew 
no  bounds,  for  despite  his  cruelty  on  some  occasions,  he  really 
loved  Zenophon  in  the  selfish  way  in  which  one  person  can 
love  another  who  is  useful  to  him  and  also  a  means  of 
gratifying  an  ambitious  and  over-weening  sense  of  self- 
importance.  Zenophon  could  never  decide  whether  he  really 
cared  for  the  Count  or  not,  as  when  under  his  mesmeric  sway 
he  idolized  him,  but  when  released  from  the  spell  he  felt  a 
sense  of  security  and  rest,  and  enjoyed  liberty  as  much  as  any 
released  captive.  Zenophon's  childhood  had  been  in  some 
respects  unnatural ;  he  was  left  an  orphan  at  a  very  early  age 
and  having  to  wander  about  in  search  of  a  livelihood,  he  was 
sometimes  employed  to  sweep  a  church  and  at  other  times  to 
assist  the  steward  on  board  a  yacht ;  he  always  had  enough 
to  eat  and  drink,  something  to  wear  and  a  roof  over  his  head ; 
his  temperament  was  sunny  and  he  had  attained  to  something 
of  that  higher  carelessness  which  makes  people  contented  with 
few  material  advantages  and  little  worldly  wealth ;  he  was 
usually  happy,  and  he  made  people  happy  about  him;  he  was 
industrious  when  work  was  required  of  him,  but  his  natural 
temperament  much  resembled  that  of  the  best  type  of  Hindu 
mystic;  he  was  introspective  and  psychometric,  and  from 
babyhood  had  shown  signs  of  spiritual  precocity. 

When  Count  Katolowynski  met  him  he  was  in  an  out-door 
church  procession  strewing  flowers  as  the  statue  of  the 
Blessed  Mother  passed  through  the  streets  of  an  old  Italian 
city  on  the  Feast  of  the  Assumption  (Aug.  15th.)  The  day 
was  very  hot,  but  toward  evening  a  cool  breeze  had  arisen. 
Count  Katolowynski,  who  had  been  educated  in  the  Russian 
church,  which  pays  great  homage  to  the  mother  of  Christ 
though  not  in  the  exact  manner  customary  in  the  church  of 
Rome,  was  greatly  impressed  with  the  beauty  of  the  scene ; 
but  it  was  Zenophon's  face  that  captured  him.  He  knew  at 
a  glance  that  the  boy  (then  only  nine  years  of  age)  was  just 
the  one  to  yield  to  his  will  in  everything  and  carry  out  many 
of  his  designs  which  lacked  fulfillment  because  of  the  absence 


136  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

of  a  competent  coadjutor.  He  then  and  there  accosted  th« 
boy  who  went  to  his  apartments  that  very  night  and  began 
his  duties  as  valet  de  chambre  to  the  imperious  nobleman  who 
was  then  not  much  over  twenty-one,  but  had  achieved  so  much 
occult  as  well  as  secular  information  that  the  boy  was  his 
docile  attendant  from  the  very  moment  the  imperial  green 
eyes  had  fastened  upon  him.  From  that  day  forward  the  two 
had  been  inseparable.  The  Count  had  failed  in  nothing 
during  the  six  years  they  had  been  together;  and  now  to  be 
compelled  to  bend  to  a  mysterious,  invisible  power  beyond  his 
strength,  was  indeed  humiliating  to  the  handsome  despot,  who 
at  twenty-seven  had  ten  times  the  arrogance  and  determination 
he  possessed  at  twenty-one.  But  we  shall  meet  the  Count  in 
Europe,  and  need  not  now  dwell  further  on  his  doings  or  his 
character. 

After  a  delightful  passage,  occupying  exactly  eight  days, 
La  Gascogne  reached  Havre,  August  17.  Our  friends  reached 
Paris  the  same  evening  about  nine  o'clock.  As  they  landed 
at  the  Gare  du  Nord,  they  observed  a  very  handsome  carriage 
with  a  magnificent  pair  of  white  horses,  which  they  instinct- 
ively felt  was  intended  to  take  them  to  the  residence  of  Prof,  de 
Montmarte.  Their  impression  proved  correct,  and  the  stately 
footman,  who  was  well  known  to  Dr.  Maxwell,  at  once 
recognized  him,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  whole  party  was 
comfortably  ensconsed  in  the  commodious  equipage. 

A  drive  of  rather  more  than  half  an  hour  brought  them  to 
the  hospitable  mansion  which  bore  the  euphonious  title  of 
"Les  Rameaux."  This  suggestively  Oriental  apellation 
marked  the  stately  dwelling  as  a  house  apart  from  all  its 
neighbors.  It  was  approached  through  an  ancient  courtyard, 
and  was  indeed  a  mediaeval  palace  containing  many  trophies 
of  the  time  of  Louis  Quatorze  and  yet  earlier  monarchs ;  the 
mullioned  windows  were  left  just  as  they  stood  four  or  five 
hundred  years  before;  nothing  had  been  changed  in  the 
design,  but  the  stonework  had  been  kept  in  repair  and  modern 
improvements  freely  introduced  into  the  interior.  To  describe 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  137 

the  beauty  of  the  court  around  which  the  house  was  built, 
would  tusk  the  ingenuity  of  a  descriptive  artist ;  those  who 
have  seen  the  finest  modern  hotels,  for  example  "  The  Coron-. 
ado,"  near  San  Diego  in  Southern  California  and  have  enjoyed 
the  fountains  and  flowers  in  its  splendid  open  court,  have  a 
just  conception  of  the  design,  but  not  of  the  beauty  or 
picturesqueness  of  this  most  lovely  home. 

Modern  buildings  have  a  new,  almost  raw  appearance ; 
and  suggest  nothing  but  modern  capital  and  enterprise;  in 
California  such  structures  are  built  principally  of  wood,  and 
being  only  a  few  years  old,  have  a  glaring  look  of  newness ; 
moreover  privacy  or  anything  approaching  to  retirement  is 
unimaginable  in  connection  with  a  fashionable  hotel  at  a 
watering  place.  "  The  Palms,"  on  the  contrary,  though  in  the 
very  midst  of  Paris, — scarcely  a  stone's  throw  from  a  crowded, 
bustling  thoroughfare,  and  within  five  minutes'  walk  of  several 
popular  resorts, — was  as  silent  as  a  tomb  but  for  the  distant 
low  murmur  of  city  life,  which  scarcely  penetrated  the  massive 
enclosure  like  a  faint  echo  from  another  world,  hardly  percep- 
tible except  one  strained  one's  ears  to  catch  it;  and  then  the 
house  and  its  appurtenances  reminded  one  of  bygone  times  as 
much  as  Oxford,  Cambridge,  York,  or  some  other  grand  old 
English  city  where  every  spot  is  associated  with  great  epochs 
in  human  history. 

The  contrast  between  the  outside  and  inside  of  Prof,  de 
Montmarte's  inimitable  mansion  was  perhaps  its  most 
fascinating  feature,  as  there  was  nothing  shocking  to  the  most 
aesthetic  taste  in  this  contrast,  striking  though  it  was.  The 
twelfth,  thirteenth,  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries  were 
all  holding  their  own  in  the  form  of  the  ceilings,  the  shape  of 
the  windows,  the  paneled  oak  wainscots,  the  heavy  doors,  and 
massive  stairways.  The  nineteenth  century  at  its  best  had  not 
turned  out  its  predecessors,  it  had  but  heightened  the  charm 
of  their  productions.  The  massive  candelabra,  naturally 
associated  with  a  bygone  day,  held  their  own  in  stately  mag- 
nificence, but  electric  light  had  banished  wax  or  candle  grease, 


138  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

but  so  gracefully  had  it  accommodated  itself  to  its  surroundings 
that  it  shed  a  graceful,  mellow  light  in  candle-shaped  burners; 
the  candles  of  the  new  age,  retaining  all  the  beauty  but  none 
of  the  inconvenience  of  earlier  candles  which  often  smoked  and 
guttered,  and  went  out  in  a  draught.  The  whole  house  was 
warmed  as  well  as  lighted  by  electricity,  which  also  served  for 
cooking.  Prof,  de  Montmarte,  who  had  studied  gastronomy 
as  well  as  all  other  sciences,  declared  that  food  cooked  by 
electric  agency  was  far  more  healthful  that  when  prepared 
in  any  other  way,  unless  the  direct  action  of  the  sun's  rays 
could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  it ;  he  further  stated,  that  for 
the  eyes,  electric  light,  properly  tempered,  was  far  preferable 
to  gas,  candles,  oil,  or  any  other  contrivance;  while  for 
heating  purposes,  the  culture  of  fruit  and  flowers,  etc.,  elec- 
tricity was  utterly  without  a  rival, — and,  strange  as  it  may 
appear  to  those  who  are  bound  by  conventional  notions, — on 
the  hottest  day  in  summer  the  house  was  kept  perfectly  cool 
by  the  same  electric  force  which  warmed  it  completely 
in  winter. 

While  giving  a  few  particulars  concerning  the  house  and 
its  management,  we  have  left  our  friends  in  retirement  in  their 
rooms,  preparing  for  the  late  supper  which  was  always  pre- 
pared for  guests  who  arrived  in  the  evening.  Though  very 
embodiments  of  hospitality,  Dr.  Maxwell  and  his  lovely 
daughter  never  appeared  to  meet  arriving  guests,  nor  did 
guests  ever  see  their  host  and  hostess  till  they  met  in  banquet 
hall  or  breakfast  room  to  partake  of  a  social  meal. 

The  Professor  and  Heloise  were  so  sweetly  considerate  of 
the  refined  susceptibilities  of  sensitive  visitors,  that  they 
invariably  sent  kind  letters  ahead  and  a  carriage  to  the  station 
but  never  presented  themselves  till  their  guests  had  changed 
their  garments,  or  at  least  removed  the  soil  of  travel.  They 
never  forgot  the  smallest  detail  which  could  add  to  the  comfort 
of  those  whom  they  had  requested  to  sojourn  under  their 
roof;  thus,  if  luggage  was  not  immediately  delivered,  the 
elegant  and  useful  aids  to  the  toilet  and  wardrobe  which  were 


OfrESIMUS  TEMPLETON  139 

plentifully  supplied  in  all  the  guest  chambers,  enabled  visitors 
to  make  themselves  very  comfortable  and  thoroughly  presentable 
before  they  met  their  host  or  hostess.  Five  handsome  rooms 
were  prepared  (all  opening  on  to  one  corridor)  for  the  party 
now  just  arrived.  Mrs.  Finchley  and  Miss  O'Shannon  were 
provided  with  separate  but  communicating  rooms;  Dr. 
Maxwell,  Mr.  Templeton  and  Zenophon  had  three  rooms 
which  could  open  the  one  into  the  other  if  desired,  otherwise 
they  were  quite  distinct.  Each  communicating  room  was 
provided  with  a  bolt  on  both  sides  of  the  connecting  door,  so 
that  under  no  circumstances  could  a  person  enter  unbidden ; 
and  not  only  did  Professor  de  Montmarte  thus  secure  to  each 
unmarried  guest  that  total  privacy  which  every  human  being 
sometimes  needs  if  he  or  she  is  to  live  a  truly  individual 
healthy  life,  free  from  nervous  discords ;  he  always  supplied 
a  married  couple  with  two  rooms  on  precisely  the  same  plan, 
as  he  regarded  it  cruel  and  barbarous  to  force  or  even  persuade 
any  two  persons  under  any  circumstances,  to  occupy  the  same 
apartment,  unless  in  a  case  of  absolute  necessity.  This  noble 
and  wise  man  was  a  practical  philanthrophist ;  he  demon- 
strated the  soundness  of  his  views  by  carrying  them  out  in 
every  detail  of  daily  life ;  by  this  means  he  won  for  himself 
the  respect  due  to  a  thoroughly  practical  man  of  science  who 
never  advocated  a  theory  the  usefulness  of  which  he  could  not 
prove. 

At  eleven  o'clock,  an  electric  bell  sounding  in  each  of  the 
chambers,  was  a  signal  to  the  guests  that  they  were  expected 
in  the  banquet  hall.  On  leaving  their  rooms,  they  were 
escorted  by  pages  down  the  massive  marble  stairways  to  a 
hall  of  such  beauty  they  could  hardly  associate  it  with  ordinary 
pursuits  such  as  eating,  drinking  and  the  entertainment  of 
company. 

The  banquet  hall  was  like  a  fairy  palace  lighted  with  five 
hundred  miniature  electric  lamps.  At  one  end  of  the  table 
sat  Prof,  de  Montmarte,  a  man  fully  sixty  years  of  age,  but 
loooking  less  than  forty,  though  by  his  own  deliberate  choice, 


140  O:\ESUHfti  TEMPLE  TON 

his  hair  was  white  as  snow  ;  he  was  clad  in  a  superb  oriental 
robe  and  looked  the  very  embodiment  of  Eastern  goodness 
and  wisdom.  Directly  facing  him  sat  his  beautiful  daughter, 
who  in  flowing  white  robes  with  no  ornament  save  lilies  of 
the  valley  at  her  throat  and  in  her  superb  dark  hair,  looked 
like  some  bright  goddess  descended  from  above  to  grace  a 
banquet  to  which  a  few  specially  privileged  mortals  had  been 
invited  by  beings  of  a  higher  race. 

As  their  guests  entered,  both  host  and  hostess  rose  and 
went  to  the  very  door  to  meet  them,  eyes  and  lips  alike 
expressing  the  depth  and  sincerity  of  the  welcome  they 
extended.  After  cordially  greeting  the  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
Prof,  de  Montmarte  kissed  Zenophon  on  his  forehead,  while 
Heloise  placed  both  hands  on  his  head  and  blessed  him  in  the 
name  of  Azoriel ;  no  sooner  had  the  words  left  her  lips  than 
a  living  sheen  of  electric  fire  encircled  them,  and  the  glorious 
form  of  the  angel  was  visible  to  all  present.  Dr.  Maxwell 
and  Mrs.  Finchley  were  awed  in  to  reverent  stillness,  but  they 
were  not  the  least  afraid.  Lydia  O'Shannon  cried  gently, 
but  her  tears  were  of  deep  and  grateful  emotion,  not  called 
forth  by  dread.  Mr.  Templeton  was  startled,  almost  terrified. 
The  angelic  form  was  not  materialized;  it  was  a  form  of 
electric  light  without  any  semblance  of  flesh,  blood,  or 
garments ;  it  could  not  be  described  as  other  than  it  appeared 
— electric  light  in  the  form  of  man — and  such  a  beautiful  and 
impressive  form,  so  stately,  wise  and  kind,  that  all  who  saw  it 
must  have  bent  in  reverential  love;  but  coupled  with  this 
wonderful  graciousness  was  a  keen,  penetrative  glance,  which 
evidently  read  through  the  most  secret  thoughts  of  the  heart. 
Not  a  word  issued  from  this  shape  of  flame,  but  whatever 
Azoriel  intended  his  pupils  should  learn  he  communicated 
to  them  by  influx  into  their  minds.  All  present  saw  their 
careers  marked  out  in  that  moment,  but  not  in  the  manner  in 
which  fortune  tellers  mark  out  the  future.  It  was  inwardly 
revealed  to  them  what  their  work  in  life  was  to  be,  they  were 
shown  their  destiny,  in  the  sense  in  which  the  word  destiny 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  141 

is  understood  by  the  truly  enlightened.  Then  the  gloiuous 
presence  vanished  as  it  came,  suddenly  disappearing  in  a  soft, 
mellow,  rainbow-tinted  cloud  of  lessening  light.  Heloise  and 
her  father  smiled  a  radiant  smile ;  nc  one  present  ventured 
to  talk  over  the  matter  at  that  time,  and  as  quietly  as  though 
nothing  unusual  had  taken  place,  the  host  said  to  the  page  in 
attendance,  "LeonidaB,  serve  the  pineapple,"  while  Heloise 
remarked  to  Mrs.  Finchley,  who  was  seated  next  her,  "  These 
grapes  are  from  our  own  hot  house;  the  seeds  came  from 
Palestine." 


UiriTERSITT 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


HOW  AEE  THE  DEAD  RAISED,  WITH  WHAT 
BODIES  DO  THEY  COME  ? 

"Beloved  friends,  it  cannot  be, 
This  body  which  I  cast  aside 
Can  surely  not  victorious  ride 
O'er  death,  and  then  return  to  me  ! 

"  But  tho'  this  form  of  gathered  dust, 
Shall  turn  to  grasses,  trees  and  flowers, 
To  decorate  earth's  garden  bowers, 
In  resurrection  still  I  trust. 

"  The  soul  emancipate  from  clay 
Surmounts  the  wreck  of  mortal  things, 
And  on  glad,  tireless,  golden  wings 
Appears  in  garments  bright  as  day." 

After  a  delicious  night's  rest,  our  friends  were  aroused 
at  10A.M.  by  the  sounding  of  a  sweet,  clear-toned  electric  bell 
ringing  in  each  of  the  rooms.  As  the  bell  rang,  a  tray  con- 
taining coffee,  rolls,  butter,  cream  and  fruit,  was  brought 
into  each  of  the  chambers  by  a  perfectly  disciplined  attend- 
ant, who  opened  the  door  and  put  it  on  a  table  just  inside, 
and  then  departed.  Every  one  felt  so  perfectly  at  home  in 
Professor  de  Montmarte's  delightful  residence,  that  when  an 
hour  later  they  assembled  in  the  morning-room  to  discuss 
plans  for  the  day,  it  seemed  as  though  they  had  all  been 
living  there  for  weeks,  instead  of  thirteen  hours  only.  There 
were  no  inquiries  after  health,  such  as  "  Well,  how  did  you 
rest;  are  you  not  tired  after  your  journey?  "  etc. 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  143 

The  good  professor  and  his  radiant  daughter,  who  al- 
ways felt  and  looked  the  very  embodiment  of  the  most  perfect 
health  themselves,  never  suggested  the  thought  of  illness  to 
others. 

"How  bright  you  are  all  looking,"  Heloise  did  say,  and 
she  meant  it.  They  had  all  enjoyed  eight  or  nine  hours'  per- 
fectly unbroken  slumber,  undisturbed  by  any  kind  of  dream, 
and  when  they  awoke,  were  all  conscious  of  having  slept  and 
mentally  rested  in  some  delightful,  tranquil  atmosphere,  into 
which  no  wave  of  discord  entered.  From  eleven  till  one  they 
all  agreed  to  drive  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  ;  at  half-past  one 
they  would  partake  of  luncheon,  or  dejeuner  a  la  fourchette, 
as  it  is  termed  in  Paris;  then  during  the  afternoon  they 
would  meet  for  mutual  converse  on  the  themes  in  which  they 
were  most  deeply  interested  ;  dinner  would  be  served  at  half- 
past  six,  and  half-past  eight  would  find  them  in  a  theatre ; 
thus  they  most  agreeably  planned  out  their  first  day  in  the 
gay  French  metropolis,  which,  to  Miss  O'Shannon  and  Mr. 
Templeton,  was  an  undiscovered  country,  full  of  delightful 
promise. 

The  drive  was  delightful,  taken  in  a  commodious  drag 
easily  accommodating  twelve  persons,  and  as  four  strong 
horses  drew  the  vehicle,  no  one  was  tortured  with  the  feeling 
that  cruelty  to  animals  was  practised  to  give  pleasure  to  man. 
The  Bois  was  looking  its  loveliest ;  rain  had  fallen  a  few  days 
before,  refreshing  the  earth  and  removing  the  dust  from  the 
trees  now  thickly  covered  with  their  deep,  dark  foliage; 
the  birds  sang  jubilantly  in  the  fresh,  clear  air,  for,  though 
the  sun  was  high,  a  breeze  was  blowing,  bearing  with  it  the 
far-off  odor  of  the  ocean,  and  the  sweet,  soft  scents  of  the 
lovely  country,  which  divides  Paris  from  the  sea. 

Nowhere  in  all  the  world  is  nature  fairer  or  kinder  than 
in  la  belle  France ;  the  torrid  heat  of  the  extreme  south  of 
Europe  is  unknown  equally  with  the  dense  fogs  of  the  Chan- 
nel Islands  and  the  rigors  of  the  Baltic  coast.  Paris  is 
moreover  a  sweet,  clean,  bright,  smiling  city,  freer,  perhaps, 


144  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETOH 

from  disagreeable  features  than  any  other  of  the  capitals  of 
the  world ;  to  say  that  it  is  a  wicked  city  is  no  truer  than  to 
say  that  vice  lurks  wherever  masses  of  human  beings  con- 
gregate, ignorant  of  the  divine  law  of  harmony  in  accordance 
with  which  all  might  live  in  peace,  virtue  and  prosperity. 

Professor  de  Montmarte  was  a  whole-souled  optimist,  not 
one  of  those  gushing  sentimentalists  who  smile  at  everything 
and  justify  everything,  but  a  grand,  noble  man  of  philosophic 
temper,  who,  beyond  and  within  all  finite  encrustations  and 
appearances,  could  discern  the  living  soul  of  humanity 
revealed  in  lineaments  divine  to  the  quick  eye  of  spirit,  if  not 
to  the  dull  sight  of  sense.  As  they  drove  through  the  lovely 
sylvan  paths  on  that  pleasant  August  day,  the  thoughts  of 
all  the  party  seemed  fully  attuned  to  the  harmonies  of  nature 
everywhere  displayed  around  them;  a  feeling  of  conscious 
oneness  with  nature  took  possession  of  them,  causing  them  to 
feel  that  they  and  all  nature  understood  each  other  and  were 
at  peace. 

On  their  return  home  they  found  a  delicate  repast  await 
ing  them,  but  neither  fish,  flesh,  fowl,  wine  or  tobacco  ever 
entered  "  The  Palms."  Professor  de  Montmarte  was  a 
vegetarian,  and  he  never  suggested  to  those  who  visited 
him  that  they  might  possibly  require  anything,  contrary  to 
the  rule  of  his  household.  A  member  of  the  French  Academy, 
a  man  thoroughly  conversant  with  all  the  natural  sciences, 
anthropology  in  particular,  he  invited  friends  to  live  and 
thrive  in  those  conditions  most  conducive  to  health  and 
happiness,  in  which  he  and  his  daughter  luxuriated  and  in 
which  many  poor  sufferers  found  or  recovered  health,  peace 
and  joy,  to  which  they  had  long  been  strangers,  or  which,  in 
many  instances,  they  had  never  previously  known.  Vege- 
tarian cooking  suggests  to  many  minds,  ordinary  poor  living 
with  meat  left  out ;  to  the  intelligent  expert  in  the  science  of 
gastronomy,  it  means  a  mode  of  living  compared  with  which 
the  ordinary  diet  of  unnaturalism  appears  repulsive  and 
absurd  as  well  as  inhuman. 


OXESIMUS  TEMPLETON  145 

As  it  is  not  our  present  intention  to  compile  a  work  on 
hygienic  cooking,  we  shall  not  give  recipes  for  all  the  delicious 
dishes  on  Professor  de  Montmarte's  table,  but  we  will  name 
among  them  mushroom,  artichoke  and  sea-kale  patties,  which 
are  easily  made,  and  when  served  with  melted  butter  are  very 
substantial  and  satisfying.  Bread  made  from  entire  wheat 
flour,  and  omelettes  of  various  kinds.  The  profusest  abun- 
dance of  the  choicest  fruits,  and  delicate  beverages  made 
from  the  freshest  and  ripest  of  fruits  that  very  day,  made  the 
meal  one  with  which  the  most  fastidious  epicure  could  not 
have  been  discontented.  Fresh  fruit  beverages  used  instead  of 
wine,  when  steadily  partaken  of  for  even  a  short  time,  perma- 
nently overcome  all  taste  for  spiritous  liquors  and  other  in- 
toxicating drinks. 

During  the  meal,  which  was  partaken  of  very  leisurely, 
the  conversation  turned  to  the  remarkable  appearance  of 
Azoriel  the  evening  before,  the  extraordinary  nature  of  which 
provoked  the  most  earnest  inquiry,  particularly  from  Mr. 
Templeton,  who  had  been  disgusted  with  some  very  coarse 
materialism  he  had  witnessed  in  Boston  a  few  years  previ- 
ously. In  the  course  of  conversation,  he  said : 

"  I  never  could  be  made  to  believe  that  a  solid  form  that 
made  the  floor  creak  audibly  when  it  walked,  which  issued 
from  a  suspicious  looking  cabinet  and  touched  me  with  a  fat, 
damp,  intensely  carnal  hand,  was  a  being  from  the  unseen 
world  temporally  shrouded  in  a  veil  of  flesh,  manufactured 
through  a  gathering  of  a  miscellaneous  company  of  very  du- 
bious persons,  whose  conduct  with  these  forms  was  to  me 
revolting  in  the  extreme ;  and  then  the  money-making,  circus- 
managing  atmosphere  of  the  whole  affair  repelled  me  even 
more  than  the  particularly  uninviting  nature  of  the  phenom- 
ena presented. 

"  I  went  home  from  two  of  these  seances  with  my  mind 
fully  made  up  that  Spiritualism  was  nothing  but  a  mixture 
of  disgusting  necromancy  and  audacious  imposture ;  and  on 
the  strength  of  such  experience  I  warned  my  congregation 


146  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

against  the  whole  subject.  Since  I  have  been  with  Dr. 
Maxwell  and  Mrs.  Finckley,  I  have  learned  that  there  is  much 
in  Spiritualism  which  commands  respectful  attention ;  but  I 
have  seen  nothing  akin  to  such  wonders  as  I  saw  here  last 
night,  except  on  one  occasion  when  I  was  so  completely  over- 
come I  did  not  know  whether  I  was  in  my  senses  or  had  taken 
leave  of  them.  Now  what  I  want  to  learn,  my  dear  Prosessor, 
is  your  view  of  materialization,  and  how  do  the  radiant  ap- 
pearances of  your  angel  guardian  differ  from  those  solid  forms 
we  witness  at  seances  with  American  mediums,  if  the  latter 
may  be  at  any  time  accounted  genuine  I" 

"My  dear  friend,'*  returned  Professor  de  Montmarte, 
"  this  subject  may  require  ages  for  its  complete  elucidation.  I 
have  been  studying  it  diligently  for  the  past  thirty  years, 
but  even  now  I  feel  but  an  infant  in  regard  to  it.  I  have, 
however,  arrived  at  certain  conclusions  all  borne  out  by  per- 
sonal experience,  which  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  lay  before 
you. 

"  I  never  speak  of  these  things  save  to  those  who  show 
themselves  earnest  in  their  inquiry  into  the  hidden  mysteries 
of  nature ;  to  all  such  I  feel  it  a  privilege  and  delight  to  offer 
such  knowledge  as  I  have  accumulated.  But  let  us  adjourn 
to  the  library;  in  its  cosy,  tranquil  atmosphere,  where  I  am 
accustomed  to  consider  all  deep  subjects,  I  feel  better  able 
to  clearly  express  my  views;  it  is  a  pet  hobby  of  mine  to 
connect  certain  ideas  with  certain  apartments.  Of  course  I 
could  not  do  this  were  Heloise  and  myself  confined  to  two  or 
three  chambers;  but  as  we  have  a  large  house  which  affords 
every  opportunity,  I  give  myself  the  pleasure  of  indulging 
this  taste ;  and  I  really  find  it  a  useful  one,  as  no  end  of 
people  come  here  suffering  from  various  disorders,  who  are 
made  whole  while  sitting  in  my  office.  I  have  two  offices,  an 
inner  and  an  outer ;  into  the  outer  I  admit  all  applicants  whom 
I  receive  at  all;  into  the  inner  I  only  take  those  persons 
whom  I  feel  are  ready  for  something  subtler  than  a  little  good 
advice  and  a  simple  atmospheric  electric  treatment." 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  117 

<c  Are  you  then  a  practicing  physician  ?"  pursued  Mr. 
Templeton,  eager  to  learn  something  of  the  life  of  this  re- 
markable man  without  being  inquisitive. 

11 1  practice  where  I  know  I  can  be  of  service ;  under  no 
other  circumstances  do  I  ever  exercise  the  healing  gift.  As 
to  pecuniary  recompense,  I  need  none ;  my  estates  are  large, 
my  income  more  than  sufficient  for  all  the  uses  to  which  I 
need  to  put  money.  I,  however,  counsel  the  wealthy,  who 
receive  a  blessing,  to  consecrate  a  portion  of  their  worldly 
means  to  the  assistance  of  the  needy ;  and,  above  all,  after 
receiving  light,  to  let  it  shine  for  the 'illumination  of  those  in 
darkness." 

Heloise  rose  and  led  the  way  to  the  spacious  library, 
where  Prof,  de  Montmarte  conducted  his  scientific  experi- 
ments and  did  a  vast  amount  of  literary  work,  including  much 
correspondence  of  the  highest  importance  with  influential 
persons  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  apartment  was  as  large 
as  a  good-sized  chapel,  the  walls  were  covered  with  book- 
shelves all  round  the  room,  from  floor  to  ceiling,  except  where 
the  windows  (seven  in  all),  of  Gothic  design,  filled  with  colored 
glass,  occupied  the  space.  The  books  were  classified  as  in  a 
great  public  library;  a  light  iron  gallery  ran  around  the 
room,  facilitating  the  approach  to  the  upper  shelves.  On  the 
catalogue  37,373  books  were  designated,  ranging  over  every 
conceivable  subject ;  many  of  these  were  curious,  but  none 
were  valueless,  as  they  had  all  been  carefully  selected  and 
arranged  in  their  respective  departments  with  a  view  to  sim- 
plifying, as  far  as  possible,  the  scientific  and  literary  labors 
of  the  privileged  students  who,  from  time  to  time,  were  per- 
mitted to  enter  this  sacred  enclosure,  dedicated  to  all  knowl- 
edge helpful  to  mankind.  Several  old  manuscript  volumes 
were  so  rare  that  their  only  duplicates  could  be  found  in  the 
British  Museum,  while  others,  more  priceless  still,  had  no 
known  duplicates  on  earth.. 

Always  of  a  studious  turn,  Mr.  Templeton  was  enrap- 
tured with  this  massive  and  marvelous  collection  of  the 


148  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

greatest  thoughts  of  the  world's  great  thinkers,  so  much  so 
that  it  jarred  upon  him  to  hear  Heloise  remark  that  she  cared 
very  little  for  the  best  of  books,  as  they  became  unnecessary 
when  one  outgrew  the  need  for  reading  and  could  launch  out 
upon  the  ocean  of  ungathered  and  unlimited  information  in  a 
purely  psychic  and  unfettered  way. 

"  My  daughter  is  a  seeress  of  the  old  Chaldean  type," 
smiled  the  professor,  "  she  can  procure  for  me  in  one  of  her 
astral  pilgrimages  more  knowledge  than  I  can  receive  in 
years  by  dint  of  hard  study.  Azoriel  is  her  preceptor  and  I 
am  her  pupil." 

"  Oh !  don't  say  that,  my  darling  father,  I  am  your  child, 
and  from  you  I  have  learned  more  than  I  ever  put  in  practice  ; 
but  let  us  not  discuss  these  questions  now,  I  will  take  my 
old  place  at  your  knee  on  my  favorite  footstool,  while  you 
tell  Mr.  Templeton  all  you  deem  wise  to  tell  him  about  the 
astral  body  and  its  appearances." 

As  she  sat  at  her  father's  feet,  her  eyes  beaming  with  affec- 
tion, she  looked  like  a  simple,  artless  child,  very  pure  and  lovely, 
but,  in  no  way,  removed  from  the  ordinary  type  of  girlhood, 
except  by  reason  of  her  almost  supernatural  beauty.  Seeing 
her  thus,  Lydia  O'Shannon,  who  was  of  a  most  affectionate 
nature,  and  had  often  enjoyed  the  society  of  an  intimate 
friend  whom  she  called  a  chum,  sat  down  on  another  stool 
next  to  Heloise  and  felt  perfectly  contented  in  her  position 
till  she  ventured  to  lean  her  head  against  her  new  friend's 
shoulder,  when  suddenly  she  started  to  her  feet  as  though 
struck  by  lightning.  Heloise  laughed  good  naturedly  and 
said  in  her  sweetest  voice: 

"  Had  I  thought  -you  were  going  to  apply  for  such  a 
severe  shock,  I  would  have  warned  you,  but  I'm  never  terrible 
unless  some  one  purposes  evil,  so  you  may  feel  quite  easy;  you 
are  stronger  for  the  thrill  that  went  through  you ;  they  call 
me  living  lightning,  you  are  not  yet  prepared  to  come  in  con- 
tact with  my  body  without  feeling  the  current  almost  too 
forcibly.  I  allowed  a  very  sweet  girl  to  sleep  with  me  one 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  149 

night,  because  she  wished  to,  and  while  I  was  asleep,  she  was 
deposited  on  the  floor  six  times  in  succession;  at  last  she 
went  into  an  adjoining  room  and  felt  no  more  electrical  disturb- 
ance. I  account  for  this  only  on  the  score  of  my  being  so 
highly  charged  with  electric  force  that  I  convey  it  to  any  one 
who  approaches  me  quite  without  intention;  but  I  confess 
when  I  wish  to  make  persons  feel  it,  I  can  do  so  readily. 
But  my  dearest  Lydia,  you  must  not  let  this  incident  estrange 
us  or  cause  .you  to  be  afraid  of  me ;  I  am,  I  assure  you,  quite 
harmless  where  you  are  concerned,  and  I  am  not  satisfied 
with  being  harmless  in  your  case,  I  am  resolved  to  be  your 
friend  in  deeds  as  well  as  in  words,  before  long  you  will  learn 
how  we  can  be  of  use  to  each  other." 

The  gentle  Lydia,  gazing  with  almost  awe  struck  eyes  on 
the  beautiful,  queenly  figure  so  graciously  smiling  upon  her 
and  reassuring  her  in  such  kindly  accents,  felt  that  Heloise, 
indeed,  might  be  an  aid  to  her  all  through  her  life,  but  she 
could  not  foresee  how,  under  any  circumstances,  she  could  be 
of  assistance  to  her  vigorous,  talented  and  strangely  influen- 
tial friend ;  but  so  turn  the  tides  of  human  affairs  not  seldom, 
that  those  who  deem  themselves  the  weakest  often  find  how 
necessary  they  are  to  others,  who,  to  all  appearances,  are  the 
least  dependent  of  mortals. 

Continuing  the  conversation  between  Prof,  de  Montrnarte 
and  Mr.  Templeton,  the  elder  with  much  gravity,  but  not  the 
slightest  shade  of  arrogance,  spoke  as  follows : 

"I  can  say  much  to  you  which  I  should  not  wish  to  say 
to  ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  persons  who  question  me 
on  these  subjects.  The  bane  of  Spiritualism  has  ever  been 
that  it  has  by  its  very  attractiveness  and  other  worldliness, 
invited  lovers  of  sensation  who  are  neither  religious  or 
scientific,  but  flippant  and  unreliable  in  the  extreme;  also 
many  adventurers  who  sought  to  bend  it  to  their  own  un- 
worthy ends.  By  sensationers,  hystericists  and  tricksters, 
much  havoc  has  been  made ;  and  you,  I  judge,  have  seen  far 
too  much  of  the  dark  and  not  enough  of  the  bright  side  of  the 


150  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

subject  to  enable  you  to  clearly  discriminate  between  its  chaft 
and  wheat;  materialization  seems  especially  perplexing  to  you. 
Now  I  refuse  to  affirm  that  all  that  passes  current  for  genuine 
phenomena  is  genuine,  and  I  equally  refuse  to  admit  that  it 
is  all  fraudulent.  Some  persons  are  helped  in  an  indirect 
manner  by  ocular  demonstrations;  I  do  not,  however,  deem  it 
advisable  to  court  such  manifestions  as  almost  invariably 
take  place  under  suspicious  circumstances.  The  moral  and 
physical  atmospheres  of  the  places  where  they  occur  are  often 
highly  impure,  and  as  to  the  people  who  gather  constantly  to 
witness  them,  their  minds  are  not  usually  in  a  satisfactory 
condition.  That  intelligent  entities,  apart  from  physical 
organisms,  can  gather  together  atmospheric  emanations  and 
condense  them  into  similitude  of  flesh  and  bone,  I  do  not 
deny ;  but  Azoriel  has  given  us  a  far  different  philosophy, 
and  has  taught  us  to  look,  not  to  the  carnalization  of  spirit, 
but  to  its  expression  on  a  higher  plane  than  that  of  gross  matter. 

"  My  researches  in  electrical  science  have  convinced  me 
that  electricity  is  the  basis  of  all  expressions  of  life ;  '  the 
germ  of  all  life  is  electricity,'  is  a  correct  statement ;  but  I 
beg  you  to  understand  that  by  .electricity  I  do  not  mean 
simply  those  lower  forms  of  its  expression,  which  illiterate  people 
consider  its  all-in-all  and  frequently  denominate  galvanism, 
when  they  employ  it  in  medical  practice.  Electricity  cannot 
be  generated  •  it  can,  however,  be  attracted,  brought  to  a  given 
focus  and  used  for  specific  purposes ;  then,  when  we  have  made 
use  of  this  omnipresent,  all-vitalizing  energy  it  returns  whence 
it  came,  and  concerning  it,  the  words  can  be  fitly  spoken, 
applied,  in  the  New  Testament,  to  the  wind  and  the  Holy 
Spirit :  '  Thou  canst  not  tell  whence  it  cometh  or  whither  it 
goeth.' 

"  Spirit  appears  only  in  electric  form ;  the  spiritual  body 
is  an  electric  body,  and  when  it  is  shown  to  man  on  earth  in 
its  purity,  it  has  no  resemblance  to  a  fleshy  structure,  it  is  a 
shape  of  light.  The  form  is  perfectly,  radiantly,  gloriously 
human ;  but  despite  all  that  can  be  said  on  the  other  side  by 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  151 

carnalizers  of  a  spiritual  idea,  there  is  neither  scientific  or 
scriptural  warrant  for  belief  in  a  resurrection  of  a  material 
body,  nor  is  there  much  to  be  gained  by  affording  conditions 
for  what  is  vulgarly  termed  materialization.  As  you,  Mr. 
Templeton,  will  soon  be  called  to  teach  scientific  religion, 
genuine  theology,  not  a  series  of  deductions  from  creeds, 
articles,  and  catechisms,  formulated  to  veil  rather  than  to 
reveal  the  spirit,  I  ask  you  to  carefully  study  the  stories  of 
the  transfiguration  of  Jesus,  and  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
upon  the  faithful  at  Jerusalem,  with  a  perfectly  unbiased 
mind,  without  commentaries,  and  with  all  predilections  due 
to  your  training  for  the  ministry,  banished  from  your 
thoughts.  In  these  sublime  narratives  especially,  and  in 
many  others  in  somewhat  less  degree,  you  will  find  a  full 
recognition  of  the  understanding  of  the  early  Gnostics,  who 
were  all  deeply  versed  in  the  science  of  spirit  and  its  reveal- 
ments.  When  the  church  externalized  itself  and  sought 
temporal  dominion,  it  carnalized  through  misinterpretation, 
the  Scriptures  it  continued  to  venerate  ;  from  before  the  time 
of  Constantino  to  the  present  moment,  a  disguise  has  been 
thrown  over  the  record.  Among  deeply  versed  clergy,  this 
inner  truth,  to  which  I  am  referring,  is  known,  at  least,  in 
part ;  to  the  mass  of  the  clergy  it  is  quite  unknown,  so  their 
bald  exotericism  has,  at  least,  the  virtue  of  honesty.  In  your 
denomination  (Baptist)  there  is  not  probably  one  preacher 
in  five  hundred  who  has  the  least  conception  of  the  tell-tale 
histories  on  the  shelves  in  my  library,  as  all  such  books  have 
been  from  the  first  interdicted  and  excluded  from  divinity 
schools  as  impious,  while  they  really  set  forth  the  only  pos- 
sible basis,  on  which  science  and  religion  can  stand  and  thrive 
together  in  future  generations. 

Modern  Spiritualism  is  not  yet  systematized;  its  later 
developments  will  throw  much  light  on  the  anachronisms  of 
earlier  days;  it  is,  moreover,  difficult  at  present  to  get  people 
to  investigate  the  subject  impartially.  I,  as  a  man  of  science, 
rather  than  a  theologian,  having  arrived  at  conclusions 


152  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

through  force  of  actually  demonstrated  facts,  repeated  most 
convincingly  over  and  over  again  in  my  own  home,  when  only 
my  danghter  and  myself  were  present,  cannot  be  expected  to 
feel  as  those  feel  who  have  darling  hypotheses  to  sustain, 
dcgmas  to  defend,  and  personal  interests  to  serve.  I 
invite  facts  and  let  them  speak  for  themselves.  I  have  no 
opinion  where  I  lack  information,  and  as  to  prejudice  I  des- 
pise it.  I  will  not  say  that  any  of  their  editors  and  contribu- 
tors are  other  than  sincere  ;  but  when  I  glance  over  the  pages 
of  the  many  spiritualistic,  theosophic  and  metaphysical  publi- 
cations which  I  regularly  receive  from  all  parts  of  the  world, 
written  in  all  languages  and  displaying  all  grades  of  thought 
from  driveling  imbecility  to  dignified  sagacity,  I  can  but 
smile  and  wonder  how  the  general  public  is  likely  to  fare  at 
the  hands  of  such  a  strange  multitude  of  conflicting 
counselors. 

"  Azoriel  instructs  us  not  to  ( answer '  anything,  however 
false,  vituperative  or  ridiculous.  We,  however,  communicate 
anonymously  through  strictly  impersonal  articles  of  a  scien- 
tific nature  with  several  European  and  American  periodicals. 
We  never  take  sides,  pay  compliments  or  enter  complaints. 
When  we  have  facts  to  record  we  relate  them  with  no  more 
addition  than  a  brief,  explanatory  comment  when  this  is 
needful,  in  consequence  of  the  singular  nature  of  the  subject 
matter. 

"  I  could  relate  to  you  hundreds  of  instances  of  our  re- 
ceiving tidings  of  events  happening  in  the  remotest  parts  of 
the  world,  telegraphed  to  us  with  lightening  dispatch  and  re- 
corded in  this  office,  hours,  days,  and  even  weeks,  before  the 
Paris  or  London  journals  received  an  inkling  of  the  affair. 
Were  I  to  publish  a  hundredth  part  of  what  we  verify  every 
year,  this  house  would  be  beseiged  with  requests  for  every 
kind  of  unlawful  information.  That  is  why  we  do  not  offer 
to  instruct  the  world  at  large  in  the  art  of  electrical  divina- 
tion ;  for  were  we  to  do  so,  all  the  Porke  A.  Hogges,  from 
Chicago  and  everywhere  else,  would  be  offering  me  hundreds 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  153 

of  dollars  a  sitting  if  I  would  tell  them  how  to  increase  their 
millions  by  adding  further  rascality  to  their  already  nefarious 
traffic  in  human  souls  and  bodies ;  and  then,  on  bended  knee, 
offer  their  hands,  hearts  and  fortunes,  to  my  pure,  high- 
minded  daughter,  who  detests  the  very  air  they  have  polluted 
with  their  disgusting  presence." 

"Porke  A.  Hogge,"  broke  in  Mr.  Templeton;  "that  is  a 
name  we  saw  on  board  the  steamer  on  one  of  the  chairs.  We 
were  introduced  to  the  owner  before  the  voyage  was  over. 
His  views  on  '  the  new  Democracy '  were  at  least  amusing. 
He  must  weigh  at  least  three  hundred  pounds,  is  fully  as  wide 
as  he  is  high ;  has  no  hair,  a  smooth-shaven,  shiny  face,  eyes 
like  little  black  beads,  and  the  gait  of  a  rhinoseros.  Pardon 
my  uncomplimentary  description  of  a  suitor  for  your  daugh- 
ter's hand,  but  the  offer  strikes  me  as  too  ludicrous.  Surely 
it  can  not  be  that  that  man  proposed  to  her  ?  Count  Katolow- 
ynski,  I  know,  was  dismissed  from  her  presence  abruptly  for 
some  impertinence,  but  he  is  young,  handsome  and  stately. 
I  could  imagine  his  making  her  a  proposal,  but  Mr.  Hogge, 
never." 

"  Mr.  Hogge,"  rejoined  the  young  lady's  father,  "  is  the 
proud  possessor  of  $17,000,000.  What  matters  it  to  match- 
making parents  and  misguided  girls  that  the  man  is  odiously 
vulgar,  shamelessly  ignorant,  and  unmentionably  immoral,  or 
that  his  wealth  was  literally  stolen  from  his  employees ;  and 
also  gained  by  a  barbaric  disease — engendering  occupation? 
My  daughter  has  happily  learned  to  place  her  affections  on 
far  other  treasures  than  those  which  money  can  purchase  and 
thieves  remove.  And  besides  all  this,  you  probably  are 
somewhat  acquainted  with  her  peculiar  mission,  and  have 
divined  that  for  her  earthly  attachments  can  never  be  of  the 
ordinary  kind.  For  dear  Lydia  another  destiny  is  prepared. 
Marriage  will  bring  to  her  and  the  man  she  blesses  with  her 
love,  and  whose  home  she  graces  with  her  talent,  more  than 
usual  happiness.  Zenophon  is  appointed  to  a  work  removed 
from  the  ordinary.  You,  my  friend,  have  much  yet  to  learn, 


154  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

but  your  mind  and  heart  are  opening  to  the  truth,  as  flowers 
open  to  the  sunshine.  It  will  not  be  long  ere  you  return  to 
your  pulpit  to  proclaim  what  will  be  indeed  glad  tidings ; 
the  very  near  future  will  reveal  your  true  work,  its  nature 
and  scope.  You  have  questioned  me  on  many  themes  which  I 
can  not  deal  with  all  at  once  ;  you  must  grow  to  understand 
through  intuitive  perception,  or  you  can  not  profit  by  the 
statements  of  another  to  any  great  extent." 

As  the  Professor  ceased  speaking,  a  gentle,  tremulous 
thrill  pulsated  through  the  room  and  strongly  affected  Mr. 
Templeton,  who  instinctively  grasped  Prof,  de  Montmarte's 
right  hand,  while  Heloise  took  his  left ;  then  slowly  rising 
into  fulness  of  majestic  form,  in  grandeur  inexpressible,  ap- 
peared Azoriel,  this  time  without  causing  Mr.  Templeton  the 
slightest  dread ;  though  as  the  radiant  presence  darted  know- 
ledge to  his  brain  and  showed  him  Lydia  O'Shannon  and 
himself,  as  man  and  wife,  working  side  by  side  with  his  be- 
loved mother,  in  the  old  home  amid  the  green  hills  of  Ver- 
mont, he  was  too  overcome  to  articulate  a  syllable.  At  that 
moment  a  flood  of  life  coursed  through  his  veins,  such  as  he 
had  never  felt  before  or  even  dreamed  of  ever  possessing,  as 
his  constitution  had  never  been  robust;  and  some  of  his 
friends  thought  they  detected  symptoms  of  incipient  con- 
sumption. From  that  hour  he  had  a  new  lease,  of  life;  the 
subtle  process  of  electrical  regeneration  had  then  and  there 
commenced.  The  inrushing  tide  of  force  from  the  angelic 
sphere,  of  which  the  angel  was  the  center,  started  a  physical 
condition  which  no  other  treatment  could  commence;  and 
thus,  in  the  three -fold  manner  in  which  a  genuine  spiritual 
revelation  ever  appeals  to  humanity,  this  honest  seeker  after 
truth  found  moral,  intellectual  and  bodily  strength  and  purity 
flow  together  in  one  electric  stream  from  the  divine  beyond, 
calling  forth  the  divine  within. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


A    PARISIAN    SUNDAY. 


"  We  left  our  beds  at  dawn  of  day, 
We  drank  our  coffee,  ate  our  bread, 
Then  hastened  to  the  sacred  fane 
Where  the  most  holy  MASS  is  said. 
Our  duty  to  high  heaven  done, 
We  wandered  gently  to  the  Seine, 
There  took  a  boat  and  sailed  away 
Beneath  the  sun  to  yonder  plain 
Where  emperors  and  kings  have  met 
And  great,  decisive  battles  fought. 
The  air  was  restful,  all  was  calm  ; 
We  gave  ourselves  to  pleasant  thought, 
We  dined  beneath  tall,  spreading  trees 
Whose  arms  for  centuries  have  spread 
Kind  shelter  over  multitudes 
Who,  by  their  love  of  natural  led, 
Have  found  a  Sabbath  in  the  air 
Conducive  both  to  praise  and  prayer. 
The  day  was  hot,  the  night  was  cool, 
We  sauntered  home  at  dying  eve, 
And  felt  when  we  retired  to  sleep 
Our  souls  could  heaven's  high  arches  cleave. 
That  was  our  Sabbath  ;  say  my  friend, 
Had  yours  more  grace  or  holier  end  ?  " 


A  Sunday  in  Paris  will,  doubtless,  suggest  to  some  of 
our  readers  experiences  far  more  pleasant  than  the  mention 
of  a  Sunday  in  England,  while  to  those  of  Puritanical  type  (if 
such  there  be)  associations  not  so  agreeable  may  be  conjured 
up.  Whether  the  French  nation  be  frivolous  in  spite  of 


156  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

religion,  or  religious  in  spite  of  frivolity,  or  not  at  all  religi- 
ous, or  not  at  all  too  frivolous,  must  be  left  to  analytical 
essayists  ;  suffice  it  for  our  purpose  to  affirm  that,  in  spite  of 
all  drawbacks,  the  continertal  Sabbath  is  far  preferable  to  the 
puritanical,  though  neither  is  ideal.  One  day  out  of  seven 
devoted  to  rest,  recreation,  social  and  moral  enjoyment,  must 
commend  itself  to  all  workers  as  a  boon  not  lightly  to  be 
esteemed.  But  London  and  Edinburg,  and  even  New  York 
and  Philadelphia  are  apt  to  be  altogether  too  rigorous  in  their 
mode  of  Sabbath  observance ;  not  that  in  any  of  thoseci  ties 
people  get  too  much  rest,  but  every  once  in  a  while  we  are 
made  to  feel  that  certain  types  of  Protestants  are  a  little  too 
fond  of  a  union  between  church  and  state  calculated  to 
imperil  the  freedom  of  citizens  and  their  children  in  the 
innocent  enjoyment  of  the  beauties  of  nature  and  of  art  on 
the  only  day  on  which  they  can  all  enjoy  them  together. 

In  Paris  one  feels  free,  to  say  the  least ;  there  is  probably 
no  city  on  the  globe  so  entirely  free  as  the  gay  French  metrop- 
olis, and  yet  there  are  many  sad  drawbacks  to  the  perfection 
of  Parisian  life.  But  with  these  drawbacks  we  are  not  now 
concerned.  The  few  brief,  happy  days  between  their  arrival 
at  Prof,  de  Montmarte's  delightful  home  and  the  first  Sunday 
Mr.  Templeton  and  Miss  O'Shannon  had  ever  spent  out  of 
America,  had  passed  all  too  quickly,  but  very  profitably  as 
well  as  en  joy  ably ;  and  now  at  9  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning 
all  our  party  were  in  the  library  discussing-  plans  for  the  day. 
They  had  reserved  all  church  visiting  till  now,  as  the  strangers 
naturally  wished  to  visit  some  of  the  grand  old  buildings 
during  the  imposing  services  common  to  Sundays  and  festi- 
vals, and  hear  the  fine  music,  from  which  they  expected  to 
derive  benefit  as  well  as  pleasure.  The  Octave  of  the 
Assumption  was  not  completed,  as  the  day  was  August  21st, 
the  churches  dedicated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  were  con- 
sequently the  most  desirable  to  visit,  though  in  all  the  great 
churches  and  many  of  the  smaller  ones  the  services  would  b« 
very  fine. 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  157 

In  Paris  there  is  a  paper  called  Le  Semaine  Religeuse, 
which  gives  a  detailed  account  of  the  services  for  the  current 
week  at  all  the  churches  in  thr  city ;  it  is  a  most  useful  guide 
both  to  residents  and  visitors,  as  it  enables  people  to  go  just 
where  they  can  derive  the  greatest  pleasure  and  profit  and 
exactly  at  the  right  hour.  All  visitors  to  Paris  want  to  see 
the  interior  of  the  grand  cathedral  of  Notre  Dame,  and  be 
present,  at  least,  at  one  service,  though  the  fact  can  hardly 
be  disguised  that  the  music  is  much  finer  at  the  Madelaine 
and  St.  Roch.  High  mass  at  Notre  Dame  commences  about 
10  o'clock,  and  thither  Prof,  de  Montmarte,  Heloise,  Mrs. 
Finchley,  Dr.  Maxwell,  Mr.  Templeton,  Miss  O'Shannon  and 
Zenophon  wended  their  way  on  foot ;  it  took  them  just  thirty 
minutes  to  reach  it  from  "  The  Palms."  When  they  arrived, 
a  preparatory  service  held  only  in  metropolitan  churches  was 
in  progress;  the  pleasant  but  monotonous  chanting  of  the 
choir,  to  the  accompaniment  of  a  fine  organ,  was  well  in  keep- 
ing with  the  subuded  magnificence  of  the  massive  pile,  which 
does  not  owe  its  celebrity  to  any  gorgeousness  in  decoration, 
but  to  the  perfect  symmetry  of  its  proportions. 

Notre  Dame  is  an  architect's  heaven,  every  line  and  curve 
is  exquisite  ;  the  design  may  be  pronounced  faultless,  and  it 
is  carried  out  in  every  detail ;  nothing  is  left  unfinished  any- 
where. After  paying  the  twenty  five  centimes  (five  cents) 
apiece,  which  is  expected  for  the  use  of  chairs  in  the  Nave  at 
the  high  mass,  to  the  polite  and  kindly  woman  who  conducts 
visitors  to  seats,  they  had  just  time  to  give  one  all-round 
glance  at  the  stately  building,  when  the  immense  organ  in 
the  gallery  pealed  forth  its  glorious  tones-  and  the  procession 
entered  to  celebrate  the  grand  mass.  Mr.  Templeton,  who 
had  never  been  deeply  impressed  with  any  Catholic  service  at 
home,  and  had  not  expected  any  enjoyment  from  the  ritual  at 
Notre  Dame,  however  he  might  admire  the  building,  was  unex- 
pectedly thrilled  with  delight;  not  only  was  the  grand 
music  unspeakably  inspiring,  there  was  a  sense  of  deep 
spiritual  fervor  all  about  him,  which  lifted  him  from 


158  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

thoughts  of  earth  to  blessed  realization  of  far  nobler  things. 

As  the  beautiful  Gregorian  music  proceeded,  the  incom- 
parably rich  voice  of  Heloise  rose  and  fell  as  though  in  trans- 
ports of  adoration ;  it  was  not,  however,  till  the  Sanctus  that 
the  superlative  effect  was  produced.  A  boy  in  the  choir  whose 
clear,  treble  tones  had  led  all  the  other  voices  again  and 
again  through  the  high  sustained  melodies  of  the  Gloria  and 
Credo,  faltered  slightly  as  he  touched  <?,  and  almost  broke  as 
he  was  taking  A.  Heloise,  grasping  the  situation  instantly, 
threw  her  voice  into  the  choir  and  sang  with  the  little  fellow 
in  such  perfect  union  that  none  but  those  familiar  with  her 
voice  and  knew  her  power  could  have  suspected  anything 
unusual ;  her  voice  was,  however,  so  much  finer  than  anyone 
in  the  choir  that  many  comments  were  heard  after  the  service, 
such  as:  "Who  was  that  boy  who  sang  so  divinely ;  we  never 
heard  so  sweet  a  voice  before." 

The  day  was  lovely,  and  all  felt  disposed  to  enjoy  a  portion 
of  it  in  the  air.  No  thoroughly  healthy  people  are  poor 
walkers,  whatever  nation  they  belong  to,  and  all  our  friends 
being  in  excellent  physical  condition  though  the  day  was 
very  warm,  when  they  left  the  church,  took  a  leisurely  stroll 
along  the  banks  of  the  Seine  for  a  full  hour,  which  brought 
them  in  due  course  back  to  "  The  Palms."  At  3  oclock  they 
were  in  the  Madelaine,  where  they  enjoyed  another  rare 
musical  treat,  and  though  there  was  no  occasion  for  her 
coming  to  any  one's  assistance,  Heloise,  who  loved  to  sing  as 
the  birds  love  singing,  again  added  to  the  superb  effects  in 
the  choir  by  remaining  motionless  on  her  prie  dieu,  while  her 
voice  sounded  from  behind  the  altar,  where  the  fine  choir 
occupies  stalls  around  the  organ.  At  Benediction  her  face 
gleamed  with  something  more  than  earthly  light,  and  it  was 
several  minutes  after  the  lights  were  extinguished  on  the  altar 
before  she  rose  from  her  knees.  When  she  did  so,  her  face 
had  a  far-away  expression,  and  as  they  were  going  down  the 
steps,  she  whispered  to  Lydia  O'Shannon,  who,  despite  the 
electric  incident,  was  always  at  her  side  and  growing  to  love  her 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  159 

devotedly,  "  You  and  I  have  been  to  two  churches  this  after- 
noon. I  wonder  if  our  companions  had  any  idea  of  our  taking 
such  a  long  voyage  in  so  short  a  time  ?  " 

Overhearing  this  singular  remark  quite  incomprehensible 
to  the  ordinary  understanding,  Mr.  Templeton,  who  was  now 
betrothed  to  Lydia,  said  in  an  apologetic  voice,  "  Pardon  me 
for  hearing  what  may  not  have  been  intended  for  my  ears 
but  the  experiences  I  am  now  undergoing  are  sharpening  all  my 
faculties,  and  whatever  concerns  my  affianced  bride  interests 
me  deeply.  I  understood  you  to  say  that  both  of  you  had 
attended  two  churches  this  afternoon,  while  we  had  only  been 
at  one.  May  I  ask  an  explanation  of  this  new  mystery  ?  Do 
we  understand  you  to  say  that  while  the  service  was  proceed- 
ing in  the  Madelaine,  a  service  in  which  you  showed  the 
deepest  interest  and  during  which  you  manifested  peculiar 
devotion,  you  were  both  conscious  of  being  somewhere  else, 
and,  therefore,  oblivious  to  your  earthly  surroundings?  Had 
you  appeared  sleepy,  rigid,  motionless,  or  even  indifferent, 
I  could  have  believed  you  were  in  a  clairvoyant  trance,  but, 
Miss  de  Montemarte,  you  sang  seraphically ;  were  you  uncon- 
scious while  singing  ? 

"Not  by  any  means,"  responded  both  young  ladies  at 
once,  "  we  were  never  so  vividly  conscious  as  when  we  were  in 
the  two  churches,  while  you  were  only  in  one;  the  second 
church  can  only  be  described  as  a  church  above  a  church, 
reached  by  a  ladder  of  light ;  our  bodies  remained  with  you, 
and  our  spiritual  essence  seemed  to  elongate  itself  so  that  we 
were  large  enough  to  be  in  our  places  beside  you  and,  at 
the  same  time,  in  a  far  larger  and  much  more  beautiful 
edifice ;  we  cannot  imagine  how  far  off  when  measured  by 
earthly  distance  ;  after  the  benediction  we  stayed  to  join  in  a 
magnificent  Te  Deum  in  the  grander  church.  When  the  song 
ceased  there,  we  felt  ourselves  returning  to  our  ordinary 
dimensions,  picked  up  our  parsols  and  accompanied  you  down 
the  aisle  of  the  beautiful  earthly  temple,  where  we  had  all 
boen  worshipping  together.  The  universal  church  is  a  sub- 


160  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

ject  upon  which  my  father  wishes  to  converse  with  you  very 
soon,  certainly  before  you  leave  us,"  continued  Heloise,  "  and 
while  our  experiences  do  not  at  all  accord  with  any  orthodox 
theories,  and  also  throw  iconoclastic  Spiritualists  into  con- 
vulsions of  impotent  fury,  I  am  certain  you  will  be  glad  to 
hear  them  explained,  and  be  quite  ready  at  the  right  moment 
to  make  them  the  basis  of  your  future  religious  opera- 
tions." 

Walking  slowly  homeward,  discoursing,  as  they  went,  of 
the  future  of  the  French  Republic  and,  then,  of  the  coming 
commonwealth  of  nations,  which  Professor  de  Montmarte 
declared  "  could  not  be  delayed  much  later  than  1950,  though 
the  full  glory  of  the  new  age  might  not  flood  the  world  till 
350  years  later,  their  conversation  turned  to  the  supposed 
impending  conflicts  between  France  and  Germany  and  Eng- 
land and  Kussia.  Such  conflicts,"  he  declared,  "  will  not  take 
place ;  there  will  be  rumors  of  wars,  but  no  wars,  at  all 
events  for  a  number  of  years  to  come ;  and  then,  if  war  there 
be,  though  fierce,  it  will  be  short ;  it  is  not  through  a  clash- 
ing of  swords,  or  firing  of  cannon,  but  through  a  conflict  of 
ideas  the  new  cycle  will  bo  ushered  in. 

"1881  was  the  first  year  of  preparation;  we  are  now 
on  our  hands  and  knees,  at  least,  most  of  «s,  creeping  through 
the  narrow  passage  into  the  King's  Chamber  of  the  Great 
Pyramid.  Professor  Smythe  and  others  have  seen  an  outline 
of  what  is  coming,  but  they  are  too  hampered  with  literalism 
to  give  the  matter  the  universal  exposition  it  demands.  I 
now  have  a  work  in  manuscript  in  my  library,  which  gives 
accurate  instruction  how  to  decipher  every  portion  of  the 
Pyramid  ;  but  such  a  work  would  be  pronounced  profane  by 
the  theologians,  so  I  shall  not  show  it  to  them ;  they  think 
every  one  a  heathen,  unless  he  be  outwardly  Jew  or  Christian, 
consequently  they  cannot  accept  God's  revelation  to  the 
earlier  Ayran  races  ;  peoples  who  were  as  far  above  the  Jews 
of  the  time  of  David  and  Solomon  as  our  modern  civilization, 
is  ahead  of  the  savage  customs  of  untutored  aborigines." 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  1G1 

Thus  they  talked  as  they  walked,  first  upon  one  theme 
and  then  upon  another,  until  they  reached  their  own  door, 
where  a  pleasant  surprise  awaited  them  in  the  person  of  the 
Baroness  von  Eaglebald,  their  pleasant  acquaintance  of  the 
steamer.  Having  received  a  most  courteous  note  of  invitation 
from  the  Montmartes  to  call  upon  them  at  any  time,  she 
thought  Sunday  after  vespers  a  good  time  to  find  them  in. 
She  had  just  come  from  her  favorite  church,  the  beautiful  St. 
Augustin,  and  was  anxious  to  show  the  professor,  in  whose 
judgment  she  felt  great  confidence,  an  essay  on  the  VEDAS, 
written,  apparently  with  automatic  ease  in  her  presence,  by.  a 
delicate  girl,  only  twelve  years  of  age,  whose  educational 
advantages  had  been  confined  to  the  ordinary  curriculum  of  a 
home  school  room,  presided  over  by  an  English  clergyman's 
daughter,  who  served  in  the  double  capacity  of  governess  and 
lady's  companion.  The  essay  read  as  follows : 

THE  VEDAS. 

The  name  Veda  has  grown  to  be  a  familiar  one  in  the 
ears  of  this  generation.  Every  educated  person  among  us 
knows  it  as  the  title  of  a  literary  work,  belonging  to  far-off 
India,  that  is  held  to  be  of  quite  exceptional  importance  by 
men  who  are  studying  some  of  the  subjects  that  most  interest 
ourselves.  Yet  there  are,  doubtless,  many  to  whose  minds  the 
word  brings  but  a  hazy  and  uncertain  meaning.  For  their 
sake,  then,  it  may  be  well  to  take  a  general  view  of  the  Veda, 
to  define  its  place  in  the  sum  of  men's  literary  productions, 
and  to  show  how  and  why  it  has  the  especial  value  claimed 
for  it  by  its  students. 

The  Veda  is  the  Bible  of  the  inhabitants  of  India, 
ancient  and  modern ;  the  sacred  book  of  one  great  division  of 
the  human  race.  Now,  leaving  aside  our  own  Bible,  the  first 
part  of  which  was,  in  like  manner,  the  ancient  sacred  book  of 
one  division  of  mankind  (the  Hebrew),  there  are  many  such 
scriptures  in  the  world.  There  is  the  Koran  of  the  Arabs,  of 
which  we  know  perfectly  well  the  period  and  author ;  the 


162  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

Avesta  of  the  Persian  "fire  worshippers,"  or  followers  of 
Zoroaster;  the  records  of  ancient  China,  collected  and 
arranged  by  Confucius,  and  others  less  conspicuous.  All  are 
of  high  interest,  important  for  the  history  of  their  respective 
peoples,  and  for  the  general  history  of  religions ;  yet  they 
lack  that  breadth  and  depth  of  consequence  that  belongs  to 
the  Hindu  Veda.  This  is  what  we  have  to  explain : 

The  Sanskrit  word  Veda  signifies  literally  knowledge  ;  it 
comes  by  regular  derivation  from  a  root  vid,  meaning  see  and 
so  know.  Here  is  found  a  first  intimation  of  the  relation  of 
the  Vedas  to  us ;  for  this  root  vid  is  the  same  that  lies  at  the 
basis  of  the  Latin  video,  I  see  (whence  our  evident,  vision, 
etc.),  of  the  Greek  oe oa,  I  know,  and  of  our  own  Germanic 
words  wit,  wot,  witness,  and  so  on.  It  is  a  sign  of  that  com- 
munity of  language  that  binds  together  into  one  family  most 
of  the  peoples  of  Europe  and  a  part  of  those  of  Asia,  showing 
their  several  histories  to  be,  in  a  more  peculiar  and  intimate 
sense,  branches  of  one  common  history. 

In  the  following  table  is  given  a  little  specimen  of  the 
evidence  that  proves  this : 


English, 

two 

three 

mother 

brother. 

Germany, 

zwei 

drei 

mutter 

brudder. 

Slavic, 

dwa 

tri 

mater 

brat. 

Celtic, 

dau 

tri 

mathair 

brathair. 

Latin, 

duo 

tres 

mater 

frater. 

Greek, 

duo 

treis 

meter 

phrater. 

Persian, 

diva 

thri 

ruatar 

Sanskrit, 

diva 

tri 

matar 

bhratar. 

We  know  enough  about  the  history  of  human  speech  to 
be  certain  that  such  correspondences  as  these — and  their  like 
are  scattered  through  the  whole  vocabulary  and  grammar  of 
the  languages  in  question — are  only  explainable  on  one  sup- 
position, viz ;  that  the  tongues  which  contain  them  are  com- 
mon descendants  of  one  original  tongue ;  that  is  to  say,  the 
dialects  of  German,  Slavonian,  Celt,  Roman,  Greek,  Persian 
and  Hindu  are  the  later  representatives  of  a  single  language, 
spoken  by  a  single  limited  community,  somewhere  on  the 
earth's  wide  surface,  sometime  in  the  immeasurable  past; 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  163 

where  and  when,  we  should  like  verj  much  to  know,  and 
mean  to  find  out,  if  we  can  ;  but  as  yet  we  do  not  know  any- 
thing definite  about  it.  We  call  this  gre.it  body  of  related 
languages  carrying  with  it,  by  inference,  a  relationship,  also, 
of  the  peoples  speaking  them — the  Indo-European  or  Aryan 
family;  and  we  acknowledge  something  of  kinship  with  every 
member  of  the  family.  It  is  not,  perhaps,  a  very  lively  feel- 
ing ;  cousinship  loses  much  of  its  charm,  when  expressed  in 
high  numbers ;  yet,  as  we  have  a  certain  warmth  of  sentiment 
in  foreign  lands  toward  even  an  unrelated  countryman,  so,  in 
wandering  up  and  down  the  wastes  of  human  history,  we 
cannot  but  feel  drawn  toward  those  who  really  speak  our  own 
speech. 

One  great  division  of  this  family  of  ours  we  find  in  Asia, 
occupying  Iran  (Persia,  etc.)  and  India;  the  Aryan  division, 
according  to  the  best  uses  of  this  name,  since  the  ancient 
people  of  both  of  these  countries,  and  no  others,  called  them- 
selves arya.  Their  oldest  dialects  of  which  we  have  any 
record,  those  of  the  Avesta  and  the  Veda,  are  hardly  more 
unlike  one  another  than  are  English  and  Netherlandish  ;  and 
as  in  the  latter  case,  the  narrow  North  Sea  separates  the  two 
parts  of  an  only  recently  divided  people,  so  in  the  former 
case,  the  highlands  and  passes  of  the  Hindu-Kush  do  the  same. 

As  the  English  crossed  the  sea  from  Low  Germany,  dis- 
persing the  Celts,  so  the  Indian  branch  of  our  kindred  stole 
into  India  (doubtless,  earlier  than  2000  B.  C.),  through  the 
same  gorges  that  now  connect  and  hold  apart  India  and 
Afghanistan,  and  began  the  conquest  of  the  great  and  rich 
peninsula.  There  we  see  them  still,  occupying,  with  their 
own  dialects,  only  the  northern  part  of  the  country,  while  the 
aboriginal  "  Dravididus  "  still  hold  the  south,  but  permeate  it 
all  with  their  influence  and  institutions,  grown  to  number 
many  scores  of  millions ;  possessed  of  a  civilization  of  native 
growth  and  high  grade ;  with  literature  and  arts  and  relig- 
ions that  have  overrun  a  great  part  of  Asia — in  short,  a  lead- 
ing factor  in  universal  human  history.  All  this,  and  how  it 


164  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

came  abcut  is  a  matter  of  only  recent  knowledge.  By  a 
strange  fate,  this  easternmost  branch  of  our  family  has  fallen 
within  the  last  century  or  two,  under  the  dominion  of  one  of 
the  westernmost  members,  the  English. 

The  story  of  its  subjection  is  well  known  and  need  not  be 
more  than  alluded  to  here.   The  wisdom  and  wealth  of  Indiahas 
always  been  the  admiration  of  the  world;  it  was  not,  however, 
curiosity  as  to  the  wisdom  that  brought  knowledge;  rather, 
greed  for  wealth.     Almost  everywhere  in  human  history  the 
lower  motives  are  immediately  efficient,  and  a  band  of  adven- 
turous traders,  seeking  material  profit,  threw  open  also  the 
intellectual  treasure-house  of  India.     The  wars  and  intrigues 
by  which  the  English  commercial  company  became  masters 
of  the  destinies  of  the  country,  turning  their  charge  over  later 
to  the  English  crown,  form  a  striking  chapter  of  modern 
history.     For  nearly  900  years  India  has  been  the  prey  of 
foreign  conquerors  and  oppressors.      The  English  are  merely 
the  last,  and,  by  far,  the  best  of  their  long  series.     They 
found  in  this  immense  and  highly  civilized 'country  a  host  of 
varying  languages,  dialects  of  more  than  one  great  family, 
with  abundant  literatures.     They  also  found  one  language, 
the  Sanskrit,  reputed  of  immemorial  antiquity,  held  sacred 
by   the  real  Hindu  everywhere,  read  by  the  educated,  and 
even  spoken  and  written  by  the  leading  class,  the  priestly 
caste  of  the  Brahmins.     Precisely  so  might  the  Mongols,  had 
they  completely  ravaged  Europe  in  the  Middle  Ages,  have 
reported  to  their  countrymen  concerning  the  diverse  tongues 
and  literatures  of  that  region,  and  t^e   Latin  as  common 
dialect  of  the  learned,  especially  of  the  Romish  hierarchy ; 
the  analogy  is  a  close  and  instructive  one.     This  was  a  suffi- 
ciently notable  condition  of  things ;  but  the  interest  of  the 
world  was  greatly  heightened,  when  it  was  discovered  that 
this  learned  and  sacred  idiom  of  India,  the  Sanskrit,  is  related 
to  nearly  all  the  languages  now  spoken  in  Europe,  and  with 
the  ancient  ones  that  we  most  value  (Greek  and  Latin),  and  it 
is,  in  many  respects,  entitled  to  the  leading  place   among 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  165 

them ;  for  it  casts  more  light  than  any  other  upon  their  com- 
mon history  and  origin. 

In  the  excitement  of  such  a  discovery,  many  scholars  lost 
their  heads  and  extolled  the  Sanskrit  and  its  literature  far 
beyond  their  deserts,  even  holding  that  this  was  the  origin  a 
tongue  of  our  division  of  mankind,  and  the  source  of  literary 
culture  for  the  rest  of  the  world ;  and  the  echoes  of  these 
errors  may  be  heard  dimly  reverberating  here  and  there 
among  the  nooks  and  corners  of  literature  even  of  our  own 
day.  But, — thanks  in  no  small  measure  to  what  the  Sans- 
krit itself  has  taught  us — such  matters  are  much  better 
understood  now.  Languages  are  certainly  changing,  and 
hence  we  could  never  find  the  original  Indo-European  tongue, 
except  in  documents  coming  down  from  the  very  period  of 
Indo-European  unity ;  and  that  lies,  perhaps,  thousands  of 
years  back  of  the  time  of  the  earliest  Sanskrit.  We  have  no 
reason  to  believe  that  any  culture  was  carried  from  India  to 
nations  beyond  its  borders  until  the  missionary  period  of 
Buddhism,  not  far  from  the  Christian  era. 

But  the  study  of  Sanskrit,  chiefly  as  the  mainstay  of 
Indo-European  comparative  philology  and  of  the  general 
science  of  language,  has  become  an  integral  part  of  the  sys- 
tem of  modern  education,  a  department  of  classical  learning 
standing  with  Latin  and  Greek,  and  ranking  next  to  them  in 
practical  importance.  All  this  is  a  necessary  introduction  to 
an  understanding  of  the  value  of  the  Veda.  We  need  to  note 
what  are  the  relations  to  us  of  the  people  to  whom  it  belonged 
and  of  the  language  in  which  it  is  written.  The  opening  of 
India,  as  we  say,  gave  us  the  ancient  Sanskrit  language  as  an 
instrument  of  linguistic  research,  and  laid  before  us  the 
immense  Sanskrit  literature,  as  a  part  of  the  archives  of  our 
division  of  the  human  race,  to  be  studied  and  comprehended. 
A  task,  this,  of  no  small  difficulty,  and  the  more  since  the 
element  of  history  is  wanting  in  this  literature.  The  Hindu 
is  great  in  constructing  systems  of  absolute  truth,  but  he 
despises  a  record  of  facts ;  he  has  a  scheme  of  astronomical 


166  OfrESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

cycles  reaching  back  almost  into  infinity,  and  can  tell  pre- 
cisely how  many  days  ago  the  creation  of  the  universe  was 
completed ;  but  he  cannot  give  the  real,  prosaic  date  of  any 
event,  civil  or  literary,  back  of  our  Middle  Ages.  We  are 
left  in  the  main  to  work  out,  by  internal  evidence,  the  order 
of  succession  of  the  parts  of  this  literature,  and  then,  with 
help  of  the  chance  notices  of  foreign  visitors,  to  determine 
what  we  can  as  to  their  absolute  date ;  and  the  problem  is 
yet  far  enough  from  being  solved.  At  what  time  were  com- 
posed those  two  tremendous  epics,  the  "  Bamayana "  and 
"  Mahabbarata,"  in  comparison  with  which  the  "Iliad,"  or 
the  "  Odyssey,"  is  but  a  ballad  ?  No  one  can  tell,  but  it  was 
certainly  a  very  long  while  ago. 

How  old  are  the  laws  of  Manu,  from  which  certain  people 
stoutly  maintain  that  Moses  must  have  derived  his  legislation 
for  the  Hebrews?  That  is  equally  unknown.  Of  the  latest 
and  best  authorities  some  set  them  before  Christ,  others  a 
little  after;  and  the  period  of  the  leading  dramatic  poet,  the 
author  of  "Sakuntala,"  has  been  reduced  from  100  B.  C.,  as 
claimed  by  early  students  of  India,  to  5-600  A.  D.  But  it  is, 
at  any  rate,  possible  in  this  literature,  as  in  every  other,  to 
lay  out  in  a  broad  and  general  way  the  history  of  growth, 
divide  it  into  successive  periods,  and  determine  what  is  oldest 
in  it.  Everywhere  throughout  it  the  Veda  is  acknowledged 
as  its  beginning,  is  regarded  as  a  revelation  on  whose  author- 
ity everything  else  reposes. 

The  sacred  literature  of  Christianity  does  not  point  any 
more  clearly  to  the  Bible  as  its  foundation  than  the  sacred 
literature  of  Brahminism  to  the  Veda.  It  was  a  considerable 
time,  however,  before  European  research  had  cleared  the  way 
for  dealing  directly  with  the  Hindu  revelation.  The  name 
Hindu  Veda  to  the  Hindu  signifies  a  very  extensive  and  heter- 
ogenous  mass  of  writings,  covering  a  space  of  time  and 
growth  like  that  from  Moses  to  Christ ;  and  the  later  parts  of 
it  are  those  which  the  modern  Hindu  best  undertands  and 
most  values,  as  being  nearest  to  his  own  age  and  thought. 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  1G7 

Manuscripts  of  its  older  parts  were  comparatively  rare,  and 
less  freely  furnished  to  the  curiosity  of  the  stranger ;  yet 
they  gradually  gathered  in  European  hands,  and  in  1805, 
some  thirty  years  after  the  opening  of  Indian  literature  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  world,  the  illustrious  English  scholar  Cole- 
brooke,  in  an  essay  since  become  famous,  was  able  to  give  a 
comprehensive  and  fairly  correct  survey  of  the  whole  vast 
field,  without,  however,  at  all  fully  comprehending  the  rela- 
tion of  its  parts,  or  realizing  the  supreme  importance  of  some 
among  them. 

Yet  a  generation  passed  before  anything  further  of  con- 
sequence was  done;  then  the  word  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  great  German  scholars,  whose  names  will  be  always 
associated  with  it — Rosen,  Both,  Bentley,  Weber,  Aufrecht, 
Muller — and  a  new  era  was  inaugurated  in  the  study  of 
Indian  antiquity  and  in  that  of  the  antiquities  and  religion  of 
the  whole  Indo-European  race.  As  a  matter  of  course,  the 
Hindus  have  all  sorts  of  strange  stories  to  tell  about  their 
sacred  literature — that  it  is  of  divine  origin,  revealed  from  all 
eternity,  miraculously  preserved  and  re-revealed  at  each  new 
destruction  and  recreation  of  the  universe.  Few  Oriental 
people  have  failed  to  claim  as  much  as  that  for  their  scrip- 
tures. Then  they  tell  of  a  certain  holy  rishi  or  sage  named 
Vyasa,  by  whom  the  mass  was  collected  and  put  in  order. 
Vyasa  means  arranger ;  so  it  is  as  if  people  were  to  hold 
that  a  saint  named  Editor  brought  into  shape  the  two  testa- 
ments and  the  writings  of  the  fathers  for  the  after-use  of  the 
Christian  church.  But  the  Hindus  have  done  their  full  share 
by  handing  down  to  us,  with  a  reverential  and  painstaking 
care  that  has  not  its  equal  anywhere  else  in  the  history  of 
literature,  their  sacred  books,  not  at  all  comprehending  their 
historical  relations  and  only  in  part  understanding  their  con- 
tents ;  ours  is  the  task  to  bring  true  order  and  intelligence 
into  the  chaos. 

We  find  the  whole  body  of  inspired  writings  divided  into 
four  parts,  each  of  which  is  called  a  Veda — Big  Veda,  Sama 


168  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

Veda,  Yojur  Veda,  and  Atliarva  Veda.  Each  division  has  its 
schools  of  more  special  votaries,  by  whom  it  is  handed  down ; 
each  has  its  assortment  of  works,  in  prose  and  verse,  devo- 
tional, ceremonial,  expository,  and  theosophic.  But  at  the 
head  of  each  stands  a  collection  of  sacred  utterances,  chiefly 
poetic,  which  we  have  no  difficulty  in  recognizing  as  their 
oldest  part,  the  nucleus  about  which  everything  else  has  grad- 
ually gathered ;  all  the  rest  presupposes  these,  as  plainly  as 
the  Talmud,  the  Old  Testament,  or  the  writings  of  the  fathers, 
the  Nevr.  They  are  in  a  language  in  many  respects  peculiar 
and  evidently  older,  a  more  primitive  dialect  of  the  primitive 
Sanskrit.  Among  these  four  collections,  the  superior  interest 
of  one  is  seen  on  the  briefest  examination;  it  is  the  Rig  Veda, 
an  immense  body  of  hymns  to  the  gods,  of  sacred  lyrics  with 
which  the  remote  ancestors  of  the  present  Hindus  praised  the 
divinities  in  whom  they  believed,  accompanied  their  sacrifices, 
and  besought  blessings.  We  cannot  compare  them  with  our 
hymns,  because  these  imply  so  much  that  is  earlier,  out  of 
which  they  have  proceeded.  The  Vedic  songs  are  more  like 
the  Psalms  of  David.  There  are  more  than  a  thousand  of  these 
songs,  and  they  contain  over  ten  thousand  two-line  stanzas 
— a  body  of  text  about  equal  to  the  two  Homeric  poems 
taken  together,  or  twice  as  much  as  the  great  German  epic  of 
the  Nibelungen.  The  collection  is  an  orderly  one,  arranged 
in  ten  books,  chiefly  according  to  a  tradition  of  authorship 
that  appears  to  be  genuine ;  hymns  of  the  same  author,  or 
clan,  or  school  of  authors  are  put  together.  But  the  last  book 
is  a  kind  of  appendix  to  the  rest,  containing  in  part  material 
of  a  peculiar  character,  later,  more  superstitious,  and  with  some 
miscellanies  of  quite  exceptional  interest.  Inside  the  divi- 
sions, the  hymns  are  arranged  chiefly  in  the  order  of  the 
divinities. 

The  two  gods  most  often  worshipped, — their  praises 
together  fill  almost  the  majority  of  hymns, — are  Agni  and 
Indra:  Agoi  (Latin  ignis),  the  fire,  the  medium  of  sacrifice, 
the  divinity  on  earth,  in  bodily  presence  before  the  eyes  of 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  169 

his  worshippers,  the  messenger  between  earth  and  heaven, 
who  bears  the  oblations  aloft  to  the  other  gods,  or  about 
•whose  flames  the  gods  gather  to  receive  their  share  of  the 
offering ;  and  Indra,  the  Thunderer,  god  of  the  storm,  who 
drives  his  noisy  chariot  across  the  sky,  and  hurls  his  light- 
ning missile  at  the  demons  that  are  keeping  the  refreshing 
and  fertilizing  waters  imprisoned  in  the  hollow  of  the  clouds. 
Hymns  to  Agni  come  first,  those  to  Indra  follow,  and 
after  them  those  to  otner  gods.  As  specimens  of  the  general 
content  of  the  Rig  Veda,  we  cannot  do  better  than  quote  a 
hymn  to  each  of  these  two  divinities.  The  hymn  to  Agni,  an 
ordinary  and  undistinguished  one,  is  the  first  of  the  whole 
collection ;  its  stanzas  are  composed  each  of  three  eight 
syllabled  sections,  with  iambic  cadence.  In  all  the  Vedic 
meters,  the  first  part  of  each  section  is  of  very  free  construc- 
tion, as  regards  quantity. 

TO  AQNI — REG.  VEDA  I,  1. 

1.  Agni  I  praise,  the  household  priest,  the  heavenly  lord  of  sacri- 
fice, the  giver  most  bounteous. 

2.  Agni,  by  bards  of  olden  time  and  bards  of  our  day,  should 
be  praised ;  he  shall  bring  hither  all  the  gods. 

3.  By  Agni  treasure  may  be  won,  and  welfare,  too,  from  day  to 
day  ;  in  honor  rich  and  numerous  sons. 

4.  Agni,  each  sacred  offering  thou  dost  shield  from  harm  on 
every  side,  that  surely  cometh  to  the  gods. 

5.  May  Agni,  priest,  with  insight  filled,  faithful,  of  favor  most 
glorious,  come  hither  with  the  other  gods. 

6.  What  favor  on  thy  worshiper,  Agni,  thou  wiliest  to  bestow, 
;,hat  failest  not,  O  Angiros  I 

7.  Unto  thee,  Agni,  day  by  day,  at  morn  and  eve  with  worship 
we  approach  and  our  obeisance  bring. 

8.  Presiding  o'er  the  sacrifice  the  shining  guardian  of  the  right 
increasing  in  thine  own  abode. 

9.  As  father  to  his  son,  do  thou,  Agni,  be  gracious  unto  us  ;  and 
for  our  welfare  cleave  to  us. 


170  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

The  selected  hymn  to  Indra  is  a  more  than  usually 
vigorous  one.  The  verse  sections  are  of  twelve  syllables,  also 
with  iambic  cadence. 

TO  INDRA — KEG.  VEDA.  X,  38. 

To  us,  O  Indra,  in  this  conflict  glorious, 

The  toilful  din  of  war,  be  helpful,  that  we  win ; 

Where  in  the  foray,  'mid  bold  warriors  ring  adorned 

The  arrows  fly  hither  and  thither  in  the  strife. 

And  open  to  us,  Indra,  in  our  own  abode, 

Wealth  rich  in  food,  flowing  with  kine  and  full  of  fame. 

But  we,  thine  allies,  when  thou  conquerest,  mighty  one, 

Just  what  we  wish  do  thou,  our  friend,  perform  for  us. 

And  to  the  godless  men  of  Aryon  or  of  barbarous  race. 

All  exclaimed,  "  How  marvelous  a  production  for  a  girl 
of  twelve.  Is  she  a  seeress?  " 

"Beally,  I  don't  know,"  responded  the  Baroness.  "The 
little  creature  is  staying  with  her  mother  and  governess  in  the 
pension,  where  I  am  boarding.  I  took  a  liking  to  her  imme- 
diately,  and  she  to  me.  May  I  invite  her  to  one  of  your  re- 
unions ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  replied  both  the  Professor  and  his  daugh- 
ter. "  Let  us  send  our  carriage  for  you  this  evening.  We 
have  a  few  delightful  friends,  including  two  or  three  of  your 
fellow  passengers,  coming  to  us  at  8.  Bring  the  young  lady's 
mother  with  you,  and  the  governess,  too,  if  you  think  it  desir- 
able; but  unless  they  are  exceptional  people,  they  may  be 
startled." 

"  I  thank  you  a  thousand  times  for  your  kind  invitation, 
and  for  myself  and  little  Florence,  I  gladly  accept  it.  I  must 
be  going  now.  Au  revoir  till  8  o'clock."  And  the  Baroness 
departed. 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  171 


CHAPTER  XV. 


EVENING   WITH   THE  MYSTERIES    OF   SPIRITUALISM  AND 
THEOSOPHY. 


"  To  Hindostan  I  gladly  flew, 

To  learn  of  nature's  mystic  store  ; 
I  conned  the  Vedas  o'er  and  o'er. 
But  little  of  their  import  knew. 

I  dwelt  amid  the  spicy  trees 
Of  fair  Ceylon,  where  hermits  dwell ; 
Their  strange,  weird  tales  I  heard  them  tell, 

But  magic  ne'er  my  soul  could  please. 

Then  homeward  wended  I  my  way, 
With  disappointment  strong  and  keen  ; 
I  felt  I  most  unwise  had  been 

To  waste  my  youth's  most  brilliant  day. 

Within  my  berth  with  limbs  at  rest, 

What  is  that  fleecy  form  I  see, 

Bending  in  kindness  over  me  ? 
A  voice  I  hear,  Go,  tea'ch  the  West. 

How  shall  I  teach  ?  I  have  not  learned, 
I  answer  with  quick  coming  breath ; 
'  Thou  shalt  pass  through  the  mystic  death, 
Wherein  illusions  all  are  spurned.' 

I  see  it  now  ;  within  my  soul 

I  find  the  answer  to  iny  quest ; 

The  East  is  now  within  my  breast, 
So  let  old  ocean  westward  roll." 

Eight  o'clock  came,  and  with  it  the  Baroness  von  Eagle- 
bald,  attended  by  her  young  friend,  Alicia  Florence  Kittens- 


173  OftESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

comb,  who  had  acted  as  amanuensis  for  whatever  intelligence 
dictated  the  singular  paper  introduced  in  our  last  chapter. 
Alicia  was  a  small,  slender  child,  rather  backward  in  her 
studies,  of  a  retiring,  diffident  nature,  but  not  at  all  nervous 
or  irritable.  Having  taken  a  great  liking  to  the  kind  and 
handsome  Baroness,  she  gladly  accompanied  her  wherever 
she  was  pleased  to  take  her.  The  child's  mother,  widow  of 
the  late  Rev.  Theodosius  Kittenscomb  (an  English  clergyman 
of  liberal  views,  but  no  great  force  of  character),  was  a  gentle, 
negative  woman,  enjoying  very  limited  health  and  quite  at 
the  mercy  of  Miss  Laetitia  Newmanhoff,  who  served  her  in 
the  double  role  of  companion  to  the  lady  and  governess  to 
the  child.  Mrs.  Kittenscomb  would  have  greatly  enjoyed 
visiting  the  Montmartes,  but  her  head,  she  declared,  was  not 
equal  to  it ;  a  vinaigrette,  a  fan  and  a  book  of  sermons  were 
all  she  could  stand  that  evening. 

Miss  Newmanhoff  was  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  attend 
evening  service  in  the  English  Church,  so  Alicia  went  alone 
with  the  Baroness  to  "  The  Palms,"  where  they  were  most 
hospitably  received.  Heloise,  who  was  exceptionally  kind  to 
children,  though  rarely  very  strongly  drawn  to  any  particular 
child,  set  little  Alicia  completely  at  her  ease  before  she  had 
been  in  the  house  five  minutes,  while  her  father,  in  his  usual 
gentle,  courtly  manner,  removed  the  last  trace  of  her  embarrass- 
ment, when  he  took  both  of  her  hands  in  his  own  and  said, 
with  his  accustomed  knightly  grace : 

"  You  are  a  very  valuable  addition  to  our  party,  my  young 
friend  ;  your  essay  shows  that  you  possess  a  very  remarkable 
gift.  God  bless  you  and  keep  you  always  pure  as  you  now  are. " 

While  the  Baroness  and  Heloise  were  chatting  freely  on 
the  subjects  which  interested  both  of  them,  about  fifteen 
guests  arrived,  so  that  before  nine  o'clock  the  salon  was  well 
occupied.  The  gathering  was  a  very  interesting  and  truly 
remarkable  one.  Mme.  laDuchesse  de  la  Couronne  Hauterne.led 
the  list  of  nobilities ;  she  was  a  very  distinguished  looking 
woman,  about  fifty  years  of  age,  magnificently  dressed,  with 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  173 

an  imperial  air  and  many  a  sign  of  deep  intelligence,  as  well 
as  noble  birth  ;  with  her  came  Count  Noumenoff  Azakotoff,  a 
talented  Kussian  litterateur,  as  well  as  nobleman.  Mrs.  Fresh- 
field,  Miss  Bluegrass  and  Miss  Cuthay  were  American  ladies 
traveling  together,  and  deeply  interested  in  Theosophy.  Mrs. 
Delman  Trice  O'Neil  was  an  Irish  woman  of  rare  wit  and  the 
keenest  humor,  whom  every  one  appreciated  as  a  brilliant 
talker,  though  her  tongue  was  often  called  sharp  and  not 
without  reason.  Mr.  Puggie  Terry  looked  as  though  some 
tailor  had  sent  his  dummy  to  advertise  wares  and  style ;  he 
was,  however,  honestly  good-natured  and  had  a  serious  pen- 
chant for  Spiritualism.  Mr.  Claphand  Knowles  and  Captain 
Dasher  Dogshead  were  English  gentlemen  who  had  traveled 
in  India  and  knew  more  about  fakirs  than  would  fill  a  dozen 
volumes.  Last,  but  not  least,  came  Mrs.  Oman  Caliph  Kolo- 
koon,  a  woman  of  the  world,  who  had  written  eighty  novels, 
knew  seven  languages,  had  lived  in  twenty  countries,  been 
received  into  eighteen  religious  denominations  and  was  now 
balancing  between  the  Catholic  Church  and  Aryan  Theosophy. 
In  such  a  company,  one  would  naturally  expect  fine  conversa- 
tion and  no  dearth  of  subjects  to  discuss,  but  so  affecting  was 
the  atmosphere  of  "  The  Palms,"  that  after  a  few  common- 
place remarks,  the  whole  company  subsided  into  unbroken 
and  seemingly  unbreakable  silence. 

After  the  spell  had  rested  over  the  company  about  ten 
minutes,  Heloise  and  Lydia  rose  simultaneously  and  walked, 
the  one  to  the  organ,  the  other  to  the  piano.  Heloise  struck 
off  a  few  grand  chords  from  Haydn's  imperial  Mass,  when 
suddenly  the  theme  changed  completely,  and  weird,  sob- 
bing strains  wailed  from  the  instrument,  as  though  some  ship- 
wrecked mariners,  in  deepest  distress,  were  calling  for  relief, 
first  to  heaven  and  then  to  earth;  Lydia,  at  the  piano, 
answered  the  call,  which  was  again  and  again  repeated  by  the 
organ,  which  occasionally  imitated  peals  of  distant  thunder ; 
when,  at  last,  the  storm  seemed  to  have  subsided,  and  relief 
to  have  come,  the  two  instruments  sounded  together  the  intro- 


174  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

duction  to  Pellegrini's  "  Te  Deum,"  which  glorious  hymn  of 
praise  the  two  girls  began  to  sing  in  swelling,  soaring  har- 
mony, -when  suddenly  there  burst  upon  the  wonder-struck 
ears  of  all  in  the  salon,  a  full  triumphal  chorus  of  male  voices; 
it  seemed  as  though  the  roof  itself,  as  well  as  everything  in  it, 
swayed  and  kept  time  with  the  melody. 

When  the  song  had  ceased,  a  vision  greeted  the  eyes  of 
all,  seen  distinctly  by  some,  indistinctly  by  others,  which 
completely  defies  description,  so  heavenly  was  it  in  all  its 
parts.  A  cloud  of  light  seemed  to  rest  in  the  air,  about  mid- 
way between  the  floor  and  ceiling;  on  this  cloud  were  seen 
seated  a  company  of  bright  forms  of  dazzling  beauty,  in 
number  exactly  agreeing  with  the  persons  present.  From 
out  this  cloud,  one  of  the  luminous  forms  reached  down  and 
touched  the  special  object  of  his  charge  till  the  whole  room 
was  enveloped  in  the  sheen  of  these  supernal  visitors.  In  that 
moment  the  secret  thoughts  of  each  heart  lay  bare ;  disguise  was 
impossible,  each  person  saw  himself  as  he  really  was  inwardly, 
though  no  one  saw  hia  neighbor's  condition.  All  were  moved 
beyond  word,  and  few  could  bear  the  test  without  some  feel- 
ing of  fear  or  humiliation.  The  scene  soon  passed  away,  and 
all  the  company  sat  motionless,  awaiting  whatever  new  marvel 
might  be  reserved  for  them,  when  Heloise,  looking  more 
lovely  than  ever,  her  eyes  burning  with  an  intense  light,  her 
whole  frame  quivering  with  a  fervid  inspiration,  addressed 
the  gathering  collectively  and  individually,  almost  in  the  fol- 
lowing words : 

"  Children  of  the  rising  day,  it  is  not  by  accident  that  we 
are  all  here  to-night;  this  moment  is  propitious  for  the 
foundation  of  an  order,  which  shall  add  another  link  to  the 
many  which  now  forms  the  unseen  chain,  which  binds  the 
Orient  with  the  Occident.  I  cannot  initiate  you,  nor  need  my 
father  do  BO;  your  initiation  is  over,  and  henceforth  you 
belong  consciously  to  the  order  of  "  La  Stella  Israf el ;  "  we 
do  not  countenance  such  secret  orders  as  impose  upon  their 
members  the  use  of  signs  and  passwords,  for  such  external 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  175 

usages  belong  not  to  the  customs  of  any  order  in  which  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  mankind  alone  is  sought. 

"  Unlike  as  you  appear  in  many  things,  and  varying  as 
your  unfoldment  is,  you  are  all  members  of  the  same  circle  of 
souls ;  you  are  each  other's  in  a  very  near  and  blessed  man- 
ner, and  you  will  be  useful  to  each  other  in  many  ways ;  some 
of  you,  in  times  of  danger  and  in  far  distant  lands." 

Speaking,  then,  to  each  one  separately,  she  raised  her 
hand  above  the  head  of  whoever  she  might  be  addressing  in 
fervent  blessing,  causing  the  electric  fire,  which  issued  from 
her  finger  tips,  to  arouse  to  activity  the  special  mental  quality, 
to  which  that  portion  of  the  brain  corresponded  over  which 
her  hands  were  raised.  Speaking  to  Mr.  Templeton,  she  was 
particularly  earnest  and  explicit,  and  to  him  this  act  of  hers, 
following  upon  the  revelation  to  sight,  which  had  preceded  it, 
was  a  veritable  ordination,  far  surpassing  in  solemnity  and 
depth  of  meaning  the  ceremony  which  had  inducted  him  as 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church,  Saddlerock,  Vermont. 

Life  now  seemed  to  hold  new  meanings  and  to  bristle 
with  new  purposes  for  all  who  were  thus  assured  of  their 
relation  with  each  other,  and  the  breadth  and  unanimity  of 
feeling  which  must  henceforth  guide  them  in  all  their  under- 
takings. After  giving  words  of  direction  to  all  the  older 
people,  Heloise  seemed  guided  to  speak  with  even  greater 
earnestness  and  feeling  to  Zenophon,  and  then  to  Alicia ;  to 
the  little  girl  the  scene  seemed  quite  familiar,  and  when  the 
ceremony  was  at  an  end,  she  enquired  smilingly  and  con- 
fidently : 

"  Isn't  your  angel  guardian  the  teacher  who  comes  to  me 
at  night  and  takes  me  off  with  him  to  heaven,  and  then  sends 
a  pupil  of  his  to  help  me  comfort  mamma,  when  she's  sad, 
and  do  lots  of  things  to  help  poor  people  ? 

"Yes,  indeed,"  responded  Heloise,  "you  are  like  many 
other  little  ones,  much  nearer  the  spiritual  kingdom  than 
those  of  maturer  years,  who,  in  the  pride  of  intellect,  rebel 
coldly  and  heartlessly  against  all  they  cannot  reduce  to  the 


176  ONES1MUS  TEMPLETON 

limits  of  their  small  calculating  reason.  Self -sufficiency  is 
the  leading  vice  of  the  present  century,  and  to  it  alone  do  we 
rightly  attribute  the  blatant  materialism,  frigid  atheism, 
hopeless  pessimism,  and  the  many  other  disastrous  ills,  which 
threaten  to  so  eclipse  the  soul  that  the  world  is  left  almost 
without  moral  sunshine.  You,  my  little  prophetess,  are  one 
of  the  little  ones  to  whom  it  is  given  not  only  to  know,  but  to 
reveal  the  mysteries  of  heaven ;  not  a  dim,  far-away  place  of 
which  man  cannot  conceive;  but  a  warm,  living  estate  of 
happiness  and  peace  here  and  now  to  be  realized  by  all  the 
truly  faithful." 

As  Heloise  ceased  speaking,  the  face  of  Alicia  Kittens- 
comb  grew  radiant  with  an  ineffable  light,  as  though  she  saw 
an  angel.  Stretching  out  her  delicate  white  hands,  she  seemed 
to  spring  from  her  mortal  body  into  some  ethereal  realm, 
where  beloved  friends  were  waiting  to  receive  her ;  then  fall- 
ing back  upon  a  sofa,  as  though  she  were  fast  asleep,  her  form 
became  rigid,  motionless  as  a  statue,  so  still  that  it  almost 
alarmed  those  who  were  not  familiar  with  the  phenomenon  of 
electric  trance.  In  this  motionless  condition  she  remained 
until  considerably  past  eleven,  when  some  of  the  visitors  began 
to  talk  of  going  home.  Just  as  the  Baroness'  carriage  was 
announced,  and  she  was  looking  askance  at  the  host  and 
hostess,  not  knowing  whether  it  would  be  safe  to  try  and 
arouse  the  child,  the  girl  awoke  of  her  own  accord,  saying, 

"  Mamma  expects  me  now ;  I  must  go  home ;  but  to-mor- 
row I  have  a  message  for  Mr.  Temple  ton,  let  him  call  at  our 
house,  Avenue  de  Poissonarde  71,  about  noon.  I  can  only  say 
that  it  concerns  his  mother  and  the  place  where  she  is ;  I  have 
had  a  vision,  but  I  cannot  tell  it  now." 

Though  usually  most  retiring  in  manner,  even  to  shyness, 
she  now  spoke  with  all  the  firm  assurance  of  a  stately  man  or 
woman  in  middle  life ;  and  so  altered  was  her  appearance  that 
she  seemed  much  taller  and  stouter,  and  in  every  way  far  more 
robust  than  when  she  had  entered  the  house  three  hours 
earlier.  This  remarkable  change,  which  was  the  commence- 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  177 

ment  of  a  complete  reconstruction  of  her  physique,  can  be 
scientifically  accounted  for,  if  the  reader  bears  in  mind  that 
though  instantaneous  regeneration  of  the  body  is  very  rare, 
even  the  greatest  works  which  take  the  longest  to  complete, 
have  a  definite  moment  of  commencement,  as  the  foundation 
stone  of  an  immense  and  most  durable  edifice  is  laid  at  a 
particular  hour;  under  favoring  auspices,  all  necessary  con- 
ditions being  present,  a  foundation  can  be  laid  in  less  than  an 
evening,  for  a  building  of  perfect  symmetry  and  strength  in 
place  of  a  weak  and  almost  nerveless  organism.  The  trance  in  its 
highest  phase  is  due  to  an  unusual  uplifting  of  consciousness ; 
indeed,  it  is  the  result  of  consciousness  being  completely 
transferred  to  another  and  higher  plane.  This  transfer  of 
attention  is  vitally  connected  with  a  radical  change  in  psychical 
relations,  a  change  so  complete  in  many  instances  that  all  the 
ordinary  habits  of  the  individual  are  superseded  by  completely 
new  desires.  This  state  of  entrancement  is  never  induced  by 
drugs,  fumigations,  or  other  questionable  methods ;  it  is  only 
to  be  brought  about  by  a  supreme  attraction  to  a  higher  con- 
dition of  being.  This  fact  is  realized  by  many  mental  healers, 
but  it  is  very  seldom  that  one  encounters  a  person  who  under- 
stands the  modus  operandi  of  the  results  in  which  he  glories. 

Explaining  to  the  Baroness  the  great  benefits  accruing  to 
such  sensitive  natures  as  Alicia's  from  the  hyper-sesthetic  con- 
ditions, Professor  de  Montmarte  rigorously  combated  the 
superstitions  of  abstractionists  and  explained  logically  how 
soul  acts  on  mind  and  mind  on  body. 

"  Soul,"  said  he,  "  is  a  pure  spark  of  deific  fire,  an  electric 
atom,  an  imperishable  germ  of  life,  which  nothing  can  ever 
destroy,  containing  within  itself  infinite  possibilities ;  mind  is 
its  creation,  the  instrument  it  forms  and  uses  to  gain  expres- 
sion. This  mind,  in  its  derived  consciousness,  often  feels  and 
acts  independently  of  the  soul,  from  whose  wise  and  loving 
guardianship  it  often  proudly  strays ;  at  such  times  it  is  like 
a  wayward  child,  foolishly  rebellious  against  a  tender  and 
watchful  parent ;  at  other  times  the  mind  is  entangled  in  the 


178  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

meshes  of  the  thought  threads  issuing  in  every  direction  from 
the  innumerable  mentalities  which  throng  the  air,  and  con- 
stitute what  the  New  Testament  styles  'principalities  and 
powers  of  the  air.'  Whenever  any  mind  gets  entangled  with 
other  minds,  or  runs  off  obstinately  from  the  parental 
guidance  of  the  soul,  the  body  suffers,  physical  disease  being 
nothing  but  an  expression  of  mental  inharmony.  Sleep,  when 
profound,  recalls  the  wandering  mind  to  its  rightful  allegi- 
ance to  the  soul ;  but  sleep  is  worse  than  useless,  it  is  posi- 
tively dangerous  and  attended  with  the  most  disastrous 
consequences,  if  fallen  into  under  the  influence  of  violent 
emotions,  such  as  rage  or  fear,  which  often  produce  intense 
exhaustion.  Sleep,  induced  by  opiates,  being  quite  unnatural, 
is  rarely,  if  ever,  beneficial,  as  the  sleeper  does  not  rise  out  of 
surrounding  conditions,  but  is  benumbed,  while  held  in  them. 

"  Dreams  are  ordinarily  no  more  than  floating  images,  and 
confused  pictures  of  external  things,  the  astral  prototypes  of 
which  are  always  in  the  air  about  us.  The  art  of  sleeping 
properly  can  be  acquired,  but  only  by  the  pure  minded  or 
those  who  purify  themselves  by  earnest  striving  after  higher 
things  than  affairs  pertaining  to  the  body.  Human  elec- 
tricity, when  judiciously  administered  by  a  true  savant, 
introduces  the  patient  into  the  sphere  of  the  healer;  and 
there,  if  congeniality  of  desire  is  aroused,  connections  are 
made  which  snap  the  links  of  the  chain  binding  the  darkened 
mind  to  error.  The  intricate  directions  necessary  for  neo- 
phytes commencing  to  tread  in  the  higher  way,  are,  in  reality, 
exceedingly  simple,  though  minute.  Such  are  never  fully 
revealed,  except  to  those  who  are  sincerely  anxious  to  attain 
to  a  more  than  usually  excellent  order  of  life.  The  average 
worldling  would  scorn  them,  as  the  figurative  swine  trample 
on  the  pearls  foolishly  thrown  to  them  by  the  unwary,  and 
like  these  same  degraded  animals,  they  would  rend,  if  they 
could,  the  very  hand  which  gave  them  such  precious  goods. 

"  It  is  worse  than  folly  to  seek  to  coerce  the  human  will, 
as  all  endeavor  to  proselytize  but  makes  the  sinner  mort 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  179 

obdurate  in  his  ungodliness.  Let  your  light  shine  every- 
where, but  do  not  seek,  by  forcible  means,  to  turn  back  the 
wilfully  closed  eyelids  of  those  who  love  darkness  rather  than 
light ;  such  must  be  left  to  the  fruits  of  their  own  perversity. 
Doubtless  in  the  cycles  of  eternity  every  prodigal  will  return 
home,  but  though  most  kindly  welcomed  when  returning,  the 
desire  to  return  must  originate  in  his  own  breast." 

"  But,  my  dear  professor,"  exclaimed  the  Baroness,  who 
seemed  in  no  hurry  to  leave,  though  her  carriage  was  at  the 
door  and  had  been  waiting  twenty  minutes,  "do  you  not 
think  we  ought  to  make  an  effort  to  bring  the  truth  home  to 
the  minds  of  all  whom  we  meet.  I  have  felt  it  both  a  duty 
and  a  privilege  to  circulate  a  great  deal  of  spiritual  literature, 
and  I  am  now  translating  the  remarkable  inspirational  dis- 
courses and  poems  of  Mrs.  Kalzenheimer,  of  whom  you  have, 
doubtless,  heard,  into  French,  German  and  Italian,  as  I  meet 
so  many  people  of  those  nationalities.  I  hope  you  and  your 
lovely  daughter  are  not  going  to  tell  me  I  am  wrong  in  so 
doing ;  my  motive  is  pure  at  any  rate." 

"  I  do  not  think  you  are  doing  anything  but  what  is 
perfectly  right  and  very  useful,  provided  you  use  discretion 
and  give  your  books  to  people  who  evince  interest  and  desire 
to  learn.  Books  are  silent  messengers  and  can  be  laid  about, 
so  that  people  with  leisure  and  literary  tastes  can  read  them, 
if  they  feel  so  inclined,  without  being  compelled  in  any 
way  by  any  one;  .then  in  traveling  you,  doubtless,  meet  many 
who  talk  to  you  on  serious  matters,  if  you  give  them  an 
opportunity,  and  ask  you  for  help  and  light.  I  only  advise 
caution  and  discretion.  There  are  probably  not  more  than  a 
thousand  people  out  of  the  more  than  two  millions  now  in 
Paris,  who  would  be  really  prepared  for  much  that  you  would 
rejoice  to  become  acquainted  with,  and  even  in  the  single 
thousand,  of  which  you  are  one,  I  should  not  find,  by  any 
means,  all  ready  for  the  results  of  our  deepest  researches. 

"  My  daughter  and  myself  are  happily  quite  indifferent 
to  the  opinion  of  society  ;  the  sneer  of  a  popinjay  is  no  more 


leO  OXESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

to  us  than  the  scream  of  a  parrot,  or  the  jabber  of  a  mocking, 
bird ;  but  we  give  polly  a  cracker  and  say, '  pretty  poll/  when 
we  pass  the  cage.  We  do  not  attempt  to  teach  our  doga 
mathematics,  our  horses  geology,  or  our  cats  astronomy. 
And  though  human  beings  have,  even  at  their  lowest,  powers 
far  beyond  the  animal,  until  their  aspirations  for  higher 
things  are  developed,  they  must  play  with  the  toys  of  intel- 
lectual and  moral  childhood.  I  do  not  censure  the  church  for 
veiling  its  mysteries  from  the  vuglar ;  I  do,  however,  most 
strongly  disapprove  of  any  attempt  to  force  back  a  rising  tide 
of  honest  inquiry.  No  child  ever  asks  a  question  in  sincerity 
before  he  is  ready  to  profit  by  a  decent  answer,  which  is  not 
an  insult  to  his  dawning  reason. 

"  Heloise  knew  the  secret  of  her  birth  at  seven,  and  wrote 
an  essay  on  the  vital  functions  at  nine,  which  I  preserve  among 
my  literary  treasures ;  but  she  was  an  exceptional  child.  Her 
mother  was  a  Chaldean,  descended  from  the  purest  and  most 
prophetic  race  of  ancient  days;  her  work  on  earth  was 
finished,  when  our  child  was  five ;  she  passed  away  in  a  trance 
of  rapture  after  completing  a  work  displaying  such  erudition 
that  scholars  have  offered  me  fortunes  to  be  allowed  to  copy 
it.  Heloise  sang  the  old  Chaldaic  jubilations  of  the  resurrec- 
tion in  the  original  tongue  to  the  ancient  melodies  she  had 
never  heard,  while  kneeling  among  the  lights  and  flowers 
which  surrounded  the  lovely  recumbent  form,  dressed  as  a 
bride,  before  committal  to  the  sacred  flames ;  when  the  obse- 
quies were  ended,  she  spoke  to  me  in  her  mother's  voice  and 
her  mother  looked  at  me  through  the  child's  eyes,  and  imme- 
diately after,  the  form  of  Azoriel  enveloped  her.  From  that 
time  forward  she  had  none  of  the  customary  ills  of  childhood, 
and  when  a  terrible  fever  raged  in  one  of  the  vilest  parts  of 
the  city,  she  visited,  with  me,  dens  which  no  one  but  priests 
and  sisters  would  enter.  In  not  a  single  case  were  her 
ministrations  unsuccessful ;  but  after  the  most  careful  ques- 
tioning, she  assured  me  she  had  never  seen  a  squalid  dwelling 
or  a  wasted  face ;  she  persisted  in  her  declaration  that  she 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  181 

only  fanned  soul  sparks  which  were  feeble,  to  keep  them  from 
going  out. 

"  When  a  priest  entered  an  apartment  where  we  were, 
and  administered  the  sacraments  to  those  who  were  supposed 
to  be  dying,  she  would  kneel  motionless  and  tell  me  after- 
wards that  a  presence  entered  brighter  than  Azoriel ;  but  I 
am  positive  she  never  saw  the  outward  form  of  anything  about 
us.  Some  one  told  her  one  day,  when  she  was  only  a  few 
months  over  six,  that  her  mother  was  dead  and  she  should  go 
out  to  her  grave  and  pray  for  her.  The  beautiful  child's  face 
turned  to  the  woman  who  addressed  her,  and  she  said  with 
loving  sweetness  and  wisdom  far  beyond  her  years : 

"  '  Poor  woman,  I  see  you  are  unhappy  ;  you  are  seeking 
the  living  among  the  dead ;  my  mother  and  I  pray  together, 
sometimes  in  church,  of  tener  among  the  roses  in  the  garden ; 
your  mother  is  not  dead,  you  may  pray  for  her,  but  it  is  better 
to  rejoice  with  her  ;  don't  go  to  the  cemetery  to  find  her ; 
she's  here  with  you.'  And  then  my  treasure  went  on  to  tell 
her  all  about  her  mother ;  she  took  away  her  fear  of  purga- 
tory, explained  everything  which  seems  so  impenetrable  to 
most  people,  and  then  sent  the  woman  away  to  comfort 
others,  with  the  good  news  she  had  told  her  so  sweetly  and 
lovingly.  I  know  you  are  very  much  attracted  to  Heloise  and 
she  is  to  you,  so  we  can  talk  about  her  childhood  together,  as 
I  see  it  interests  you.  To  the  world  in  general  my  daughter 
is  a  gifted  young  lady,  well  educated  and  particularly  health- 
ful, but  nothing  further.  Alicia  is  now  quite  ready  to  go 
home  with  you,  and  it  is  almost  midnight.  Bring  Mrs. 
Kittenscomb  to  see  us  next  time  you  come  ;  we  would  gladly 
call  on  her,  but  her  chronic  invalidism  can  be  broken  up 
much  more  quickly  in  this  atmosphere.  Hiss  Newmanhoff 
will  understand  nothing  and  oppose  everything ;  she  is  a 
good,  high  principled  woman,  but  the  narrowest  interpreta- 
tion of  Anglican  theology  is  all  she  can  tolerate ;  let  her  come, 
if  she  likes,  but  don't  urge  her.  Dr.  Dynaspherus  Nuovo- 
motor,  President  of  the  Muscovite  Hermetic  Lodge,  lunches 


183  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

with  us  at  two  to-morrow,  at  four  he  will  read  a  paper ;  as  you 
are  interested  in  these  matters,  I  invite  you  most  cordially  to 
meet  him.  Two  P.M.,  not  a  minute  later,  please.  Mrs.  Kit- 
tenscomb  had  better  come  in  the  evening,  when  there  will  be 
no  strangers  present,  and  I  can  set  her  right  in  less  than  a 
fortnight,  if  she  wishes  it." 

The  Baroness  and  her  young  charge  reached  their  apart- 
ments at  a  quarter  past  twelve ;  Mrs.  Kittenscomb  was  sleep- 
ing peacefully,  she  had  retired  at  eleven  with  a  greatly 
modified  neuralgia.  Miss  Newmanhoff  pleadingly  lifted 
anxious  eyes  to  the  baroness,  and  murmured : 

"  Illustrious  lady,  I  pray  you  to  contemplate  the  indis- 
cretion of  keeping  a  child  out  to  this  hour;  our  good  clergy- 
man, Mr.  Training  Vyne,  preached  such  a  solemn  sermon  this 
evening  on  youthful  dissipation ;  it  impressed  me  deeply,  and 
our  pet  is  not  strong." 

"  My  good  woman,"  answered  Lady  Eaglebald,  "  I  know 
far  better  than  you  or  Mr.  Vyne  either,  what  is  the  best  for 
Alicia;  her  mother  confides  her  to  me  gratefully,  and  if  you 
will  but  allow  yourself  to  see  matters  as  they  are,  you  cannot 
deny  a  great  improvement  in  Alicia  during  the  past  week.  I 
beg  of  you  not  to  impress  the  child  with  your  lachrymose 
ideas;  they  are  far  worse  for  her  than  the  latest  hours,  or 
even  the  fashionable  frivolties  which  your  clergyman  so  justly 
discountenances." 

"  Sad,  very  sad,  pitiably  sad,"  whispered  Miss  Newman- 
hoff under  her  breath,  and  with  a  soft  crooning,  "  tired  lamb, 
weary  dove,"  she  led  the  animated,  though  rapidly  sobering, 
child  to  the  little  iron  bed,  which,  unfortunately  for  the  child's 
best  welfare,  was  in  the  governess'  room. 

The  following  afternoon  the  baroness  attended  the 
reunion  at  the  Montmartes  and  met  some  delightful  people, 
among  them  Dr.  Nuovomotor,  who  was  the  principal  spokes- 
man; ho  was  a  writer  of  considerable  ability,  and  favored  the 
company  with  an  essay.  The  following  paper,  which  had  been 
prepared  for  a  widely -circulating  English  magazine,  he  read 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  183 

to  the  company  by  unanimous  request ;  it  was  entitled :  "  The 
Gist  of  Theosophy." 

"  While  an  immense  amount  of  floating  opinion  is,  at 
present,  circulating  on  the  subject  of  'theosophy,'  there  are 
comparatively  but  very  few  persons  who  have  set  themselves 
the  task  of  so  simplifying  the  tenets  of  theosophy  as  to  make 
its  main  doctrines  clearly  intelligent  to  the  western  mind. 
The  word  theosophy,  which  signifies  neither  more  or  less 
than  divine  wisdom,  is,  by  no  means,  exclusively  confined  to 
ancient  Hinduism;  it  is  a  term  properly  applicable  to  all  that 
can  legitimately  be  termed  knowledge  of  the  spiritual  uni- 
verse. Theosophy,  in  its  modern  form,  is  constantly  associated 
with  the  name  of  H.  P.  Blavatsky,  because  that  most  indus- 
trious Russian  lady  did  more  than  any  other  individual  to 
ransack  the  treasure-houses  of  eastern  scripture  to  bring  forth 
the  truth  therein  contained  for  the  edification  of  Europeans 
and  Americana. 

"  Most  students  of  Asiatic  lore  have  been  either  Christian 
apologists  or  confirmed  sceptics.  Their  previous  training  and 
fixed  habits  of  thought  have,  therefore,  largely  disqualified 
them  for  an  unprejudiced  performance  of  their  task.  Mme. 
Blavatsky,  on  the  other  hand,  has  searched  the  records,  not 
with  a  view  to  prove  certain  foregone  propositions,  or  to  dis- 
cover fraud  and  folly  in  the  documents  under  review,  but  to 
honestly  express  the  information  therein  contained.  Her 
latest  work,  the  Secret  Doctrine,  amply  proves  the  honesty  of 
her  endeavor  and  the  ability  she  brings  to  the  work.  But 
some  of  our  Christian  friends  will  inquire,  Why  go  to  the 
Vedas  for  the  truths  we  can  find  so  perfectly  revealed  in  the 
New  Testament?  Why  speak  of  Gautama,  when  we  have 
before  us  the  example  of  Jesus  ?  The  answer  to  such  inquiry 
is  twofold.  First,  The  New  Testament  deals  almost  exclu- 
sively with  ethics.  Its  moral  code  is,  indeed,  unsurpassed, 
but  on  questions  of  science  it  is  silent.  Now  the  Hindu 
records  are  not  simply  moral  text  books,  they  are  scientific 
treatises,  as  any  one  who  intelligently  peruses  them  will  soon 


184  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

discover.  Second,  There  is  a  widespread  feeling  in  Christen- 
dom that  beyond  the  pale  of  Christianity  all  is  heathen  dark- 
ness. Such  a  belief  renders  well  nigh  impossible  any  effectual 
carrying  out  of  the  fundamental  basis  of  theosophy — the 
universal  brotherhood  of  man. 

"  Theosophy  does  not  require  of  any  one  who  embraces  it 
a  surrender  of  the  Christain  religion,  so  far  as  its  basis  in  the 
New  Testament  is  concerned ;  at  the  same  time  it  can  not 
allow  that  any  one  book,  people,  or  system,  can  embody  all 
the  divine  wisdom  known  upon  earth.  The  Bible,  from 
Genesis  to  Revelation,  teaches  the  cardinal  doctrines  of  theo- 
sophy without  amplifying  them  very  clearly  or  extendedly. 
These  doctrines  certainly  include  what  are  commonly  called 
'  Karma'  and  'Re-incarnation,'  teachings  which  simply  need 
clear  and  cogent  statement  to  make  them  appear  what  they 
are,  thoroughly  rational  and  scientific,  and,  above  all,  consist- 
ent with  man's  highest  conception  of  divine,  impartial  equity. 

"  The  Oriental  wisdom-religion  does  not  acknowledge  any 
fall  of  man  in  the  orthodox  Christian  sense.  It  teaches  the 
involution  of  spirit  and  consequent  evolution  of  matter,  and 
in  the  exposition  of  this  theory,  it  accounts  for  all  the  anoma- 
lies visible  in  the  external  world  by  attributing  them  to  the 
experimental  efforts  of  intelligent  spiritual  units  seeking  to 
make  their  powers  manifest.  In  consonance  with  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Kabbala  and  other  occult  works  of  olden  time, 
theosophy  teaches  that  the  external  universe  is  an  expression 
of  finite  intelligences,  necessarily  limited  in  power  and  wis- 
dom, but  continually  subject  to  the  law  of  progress.  These 
intelligences  begin  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder  of  expression  and 
work  their  way  diligently  and  gradually  to  the  top ;  thus  the 
theory  of  transmigration  is  inverted  in  a  manner  very  favor- 
ably regarded  by  Rev.  J.  F.  Clarke  in  his  "Ten  Great 
Religions,"  and  many  other  liberal  and  learned  authors. 

"  Re- incarnation  is  usually  ridicuously  misunderstood. 
People  who  utterly  fail  to  comprehend  it,  talk  an  unlimited 
amount  of  nonsense  concerning  another  spirit  usurping  the 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  183 

body  of  a  new-bcrn  child,  and  much  similar  folly,  while  theos- 
ophy  explains  how  a  soul  awaiting  embodiment  introduces 
itself  into  earthly  expression  at  the  moment  of  conception 
by  itself  breathing  the  breath  of  life  into  the  primal  germ. 
In  other  words,  conception  is  the  result  of  spirit  seeking 
expression  through  an  appropriate  material  medium. 

"  Karma  only  means  sequence  or  the  unvarying  operation 
of  the  law  of  cause  and  effect.  Our  present  Karma  is  the 
effect  of  all  our  past  career,  remembered  or  seemingly  for- 
gotten. Whatever  trials  and  difficulties  we  now  confront 
come  to  us  or  try  us,  because  of  our  moral,  mental  and  physical 
condition  being  what  it  is,  and  it  necessarily  is  what  it  is  at 
any  given  moment  as  a  result  of  all  our  past  thinking,  speak- 
ing and  acting. 

"  The  doctrine  of  Karma  is  not  fatalism,  for  it  does  not 
teach  us  that  all  our  lives  are  mapped  out  for  us  by  the  sover- 
eign decree  of  inexorable  fate  ;  it  simply  declares  the  universal 
law  which  ordains  that  certain  effects  must  ever  proceed  from 
certain  causes ;  thus,  while  we  cannot  evade  the  operation  of 
Karma,  we  can,  as  we  increase  in  knowledge  of  the  law,  so 
frame  our  conduct,  so  govern  our  thoughts  and  affections,  as 
well  as  our  speech  and  behavior,  as  to  sow  nothing  but  good 
seed  and  consequently  reap  nothing  but  an  agreeable  harvest. 

"  Nirvana,  or  the  state  of  supreme  blessedness,  is  a  con- 
dition in  which  we  know  no  care  and  suffer  no  pain.  When 
we  have  reached  that  celestial  altitude,  we  are  proof  against 
all  that  could  possibly  afflict  or  disturb  us ;  we  are  then  above 
the  recognition  of  sin,  sickness  and  death,  and  in  a  state  so 
exalted  that  for  us  Karma  no  longer  operates. 

"Theosophy  does  not  allow  that  the  penalty  due  to 
transgression  can  ever  be  evaded.  To  forgive  sin  is  to  deliver 
the  mind  from  the  bondage  of  evil  desire.  This  can  be 
accomplished  by  purely  educational  processes. 

"  Spiritual  Healing  is  acknowledged  by  theosophy,  only 
so  far  as  it  can  be  scientifically  demonstrated  as  a  means  of 
awakening  the  higher  consciousness  by  appealing  to  the  nobler 


186  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

principle  in  man ;  phenomenal  spiritualism  is  regarded  as  a 
legitimate  subject  for  honest  painstaking  investigation  with  a 
view  to  ascertain  the  true  source  whence  the  phenomena  pro- 
ceed. The  true  theosophist  lays  the  utmost  stress  on  the 
culture  of  the  higher  self,  not  on  the  suppression  of  the  lower 
instincts  nearly  so  much  as  on  the  cultivation  of  the  higher  ; 
and  on  the  basis  of  this  conviction,  it  is  reasonably  claimed 
the  elevation  of  humanity  can  be  successfully  conducted. 

"  Theosophy  is  religion,  but  it  is  not  any  limited  system 
or  view  of  religion ;  it  is  science,  but  it  does  not  confine  itself 
to  any  particular  department  of  research.  It  is,  in  a  word, 
compendious  anthropology;  it  teaches  man  to  look  within,  to 
study  his  own  permanent  selfhood,  to  outgrow  dependence  on 
external  sources  of  information  and  authority,  and  find  within 
himself  the  true,  perpetual  light.  Armed  with  the  testimony 
of  the  ages,  with  malice  toward  none  and  good  will  towards 
all.  Theosophy  claims  as  its  mission  the  unification  of  all 
human  interests,  and  the  establishment  of  a  perfectly  natural 
and  yet  highly  spiritual  church  of  humanity  unconfined  by 
party,  race,  color  or  belief." 

The  paper  was  received  with  many  tokens  of  approval 
and  called  forth  very  little  criticism,  though  Prof,  de  Mont- 
marte  entered  more  deeply  into  the  history  and  development 
of  the  central  thought. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


THE   POWER   THAT   MAKETH    WHOLE. 


The  dying  stars  proclaim  the  sun 

That  weaker  eyes  could  not  behold, 

And  lower  lights  had  not  foretold: 

Then  die  upon  a  bed  of  gold, 

Because  the  grander  light  is  born! 

The  highland  rills  that  seaward  glide 

May  vanish  in  the  mountain  side, 

And,  sinking  through  the  voiceless  earth, 

Within  the  cold,  dark  caves  abide; 

But  naught  can  stay  their  "second  birth," 

Or  dim  their  resurrection  morn: 5 

Sometime,  somewhere,  in  stronger  tide, 

And  warmer  light  and  broader  sweep, 

They  rush  to  swell  the  distant  deep, 

That  turns  its  awful  palms  to  heaven, 

That  girdles  with  its  mighty  bands 

All  kingdoms,  empires,  realms,  and  lands, — 

Within  whose  all-embracing  rim 

The  fleets  of  Nations  sink  or  swim 

Like  fire-flies  in  the  mist  of  even, 

And  on  whose  all-receiving  breast 

The  Ages  lay  their  dead  to  rest. 

You  cannot  blind  my  inner  sight: 

I  see  the  dawn  behind  the  night; 

Beyond  the  dawn  I  see  the  day; 

And  through  the  day  I  see  the  Truth 

Arising  in  immortal  youth! 

The  sunbeams  on  her  forehead  play; 

The  lillies  in  her  tresses  twine; 

The  Peace  of  God  dwells  in  her  face 

And  rolls  the  clouds  of  war  away 

Around  her  feet  the  roses  grow; 

Her  tender  bosoms  swell  and  flow 

With  healing  for  the  stricken  race, 

And  in  her  eyes  seraphic  shine 

Faith,  Hope, "and  Love,  and  every  grace! — 

The  Old  recedes,  the  New  descends! 

Earth  clasps  the  hand  that  Heaven  extends — 

The  Lion  and  the  Lamb  are  friends! 

—James  O.  Clark. 


UHI7SRSITT 


188  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

Mrs.  Kittenscomb  called  on  the  Montmartes  the  same 
evening,  in  company  with  the  Baroness  and  Alicia ;  she  was 
literally  dazzled  with  the  quiet  splendor  of  their  mode  of  life. 
Having  seen  a  great  deal  of  the  nouveaux  riches,  both  English 
and  American,  of  whom  not  a  few  spend  a  good  deal  of  lime 
in  Paris,  it  was  a  new  revelation  to  her  to  find  persons  of 
the  highest  and  truest  culture  surrounded  with  all  the 
brilliant  accessories  of  wealth,  and,  above  all,  was  she 
delighted  with  the  utter  absence  of  all  "superior  airs"  among 
these  truly  superior  people.  Dinner  was  just  over,  and  the 
whole  party  then  domiciled  at  "The  Palms  "  was  in  the  lib- 
rary, to  which  elegant  and  luxurious  apartment  the  new 
arrivals  were  at  once  conducted. 

Professor  de  Montmarte  looked  very  courtly  in  his  pecu- 
liar style  of  evening  dress,  which  was  purely  oriental  in  design, 
and  suggested  such  perfect  ease  and  comfort  for  the  whole 
body  that  the  fops  who  consider  no  man  a  gentleman,  unless 
he  makes  himself  a  fright  before  he  sits  down  to  dinner, 
actually  wished  they  had  the  independence  of  character  to  set 
decent  fashions,  instead  of  following  idiotic  ones,  set  by  no 
one  knows  who.  Heloise,  always  lovely,  never  looked  more  of 
an  enchantress  than  when  simply  attired  in  a  plain  white 
muslin  dress  with  forget-me-nots  at  her  throat  and  in  her 
hair ;  her  age  was  a  topic  of  dispute  among  all  the  gossips  ; 
sometimes  she  looked  less  than  twenty,  at  other  times  she 
appeared  so  mature  and  displayed  such  wisdom  that  super- 
stitious persons  were  wont  to  declare  that  her  father  was  a 
wizard  who  had  lived  through  centuries,  and  his  daughter  a 
woman  of  extreme  age,  whose  youth  had  been  miraculously 
preserved  by  means  of  the  fabled  elixir  vitce  of  the  alchemists. 
Such  conjectures  were,  however,  rumors  without  the  slightest 
foundation,  save  to  this  extent,  that  the  professor,  at  sixty, 
was  more  youthful  and  vigorous  than  any  young  man  of  his 
acquaintance,  in  every  respect ;  while  Heloise,  though  a  very 
young  woman  in  years,  was,  indeed,  wiser  than  gray-haired 
sages,  and  possessed  of  such  exuberant  vitality  and  marvelous 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  189 

recuperative  ability  that  a  strain  upon  her  strength,  which 
would  have  prostrated  any  ordinary  young  woman  (even  the 
strongest),  had  scarcely  a  moment's  effect  on  her  most  extra- 
ordinary but  thoroughly  natural  temperament. 

Physiologists  and  others  talk  a  great  deal  of  nervous, 
bilious  and  sanguine  temperaments,  but  completely  ignore 
the  electric  temperament;  therefore,  they  utterly  fail  to 
account  for  the  marvellous  powers  of  endurance  and  recupera- 
tion displayed  by  many  persons  of  fragile  frames;  for  not 
understanding  human  electricity,  they  can  assign  no  adequate 
reason  for  the  presence  of  the  spleen  in  the  human  anatomy, 
nor  can  they  declare  its  functions  with  any  degree  of  definite- 
ness.  In  this  respect,  as  in  many  others,  popular  tradition  is 
ahead  of  schooled  ignorance,  and  thus  we  have  such  words  as 
spleeny  and  tpleenish  in  our  commonest  vernacular,  and  these 
words  are  rightly  applied  even  by  the  most  illiterate  persons. 
Whenever  people  are  constantly  losing  their  temper  or  mod- 
erating force,  and  find  difficulty  in  returning  to  an  equili- 
brated condition,  it  is  on  account  of  electrical  disturbance  in 
the  sjstem.  These  electric  storms  in  the  human  organism 
are  invariably  brought  about  by  some  mental  discord  ;  thus, 
persons  who  practise  "mind  cure"  are  generally  right  in 
their  premises,  though  sometimes  faulty  in  their  methods  and 
unsuccessful  in  their  attempts,  owing  to  their  ignorance  of 
the  means  whereby  electrical  disturbances  can  be  overcome 
and  prevented  for  the  future. 

Mrs.  Kittenscomb  had  "  seen  trouble,"  her  affections  were 
quickly  aroused  and  easily  wounded  ;  she  had  loved  her  hus- 
band, and  he  had  been  very  good  to  her  according  to  his  light, 
but  he  never  fully  met  the  intense  demands  of  her  acutely 
sensitive  nature,  which  demanded  understanding  and  respon- 
sive love.  Mr.  Kittenscomb  loved  his  wife,  but  he  did  not 
fathom  the  depths  of  her  nature ;  he  was  a  kind,  liberal- 
minded  man,  but  lacked  in  penetration  as  well  as  in  execu- 
tive ability.  Since  his  passing  away,  his  widow  had  been  left 
to  the  care  of  Miss  Priscilla  Newmanhoff,  who  was  of  Anglo- 


190  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

German  parentage,  and  though  very  religious,  by  no  means  a 
comprehensive  or  comprehending  woman;  she  understood 
neither  Mrs.  Kittenscomb  nor  Alicia ;  she  was  an  efficient 
governess  and  a  faithful  companion,  if  one  needs  nothing  be- 
yond a  mechanically  accurate  discharge  of  perfunctory  duties 
in  a  perfunctory  manner ;  but  in  her  hands  the  two  gentle, 
loving  creatures  who  stood  in  need  of  what  she  could  neither 
supply  nor  appreciate,  fared  badly  indeed.  Professor  de  Mont- 
marte  had  not  talked  with  his  visitor  two  minutes  before  he 
knew  exactly  what  ailed  her,  and  told  her  plainly  before  all 
his  guests  that  all  she  needed  was  a  complete  change  of  en- 
vironment during  her  convalesence,  which  would  be  rapid  if 
the  necessary  conditions  were  complied  with. 

"  Make  Miss  Newmanhoff  a  handsome  allowance  and  send 
her  to  visit  her  relatives  in  England  or  Germany,  as  she  may 
prefer,  and  spend  three  weeks  with  us ;  we  shall  be  delighted 
to  have  you  and  Alicia  under  our  roof,  but  the  governess-com- 
panion is  better  off  elsewhere ;  we  have  no  sympathies  in 
common ;  you  and  your  daughter  are  in  our  circle.  Did  I  not 
discover  this  by  intuition  I  should  not  offer  to  take  your  case 
and  conduct  it  to  a  successful  issue.  We  shall  never  see  jus- 
tice done  to  the  ailing  until  physicians  acknowledge  the  law 
of  adaptability ;  bunglers  with  drugs  and  minerals  kill  more 
than  they  cure,  but  poor  fellows,  they  are  oftener  blind  than 
culpable ;  still  a  degree  of  responsibility  does  attach  to  a  man 
or  woman  who  undertakes  a  case,  and  holds  out  promise  of 
benefit  to  the  patient,  when  he  or  she  feels  no  assurance  what- 
ever that  the  treatment  will  prove  advantageous.  Oh !  for  the 
blessed  time  (now  rapidly  approaching)  when  selfish  greed 
and  the  hard,  bitter  struggle  for  the  necessaries  of  material 
existence  will  no  longer  veil  man's  moral  insight  and  stupefy 
his  intellect  so  that  self-interest  instead  of  philanthropy  con- 
trols the  relations  of  man  with  man ;  but  moralizing  aside,  to 
come  directly  to  our  point,  you,  my  dear  madam,  are  what 
people  facetiously  call  'a  bundle  of  nerves,'  you  are  a  martyr 
to  neuralgia,  and  what  is  neuralgia  but  nervousness  ?  From 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  101 

the  Greek  neuros,  nerves,  we  get  the  English  word  neuralgia. 

"Neuralgic  affections  are  often  called  toothache  when 
pain  is  felt  acutely  in  the  face ;  spinal  complaint  when  the  seat 
of  suffering  is  in  the  back ;  liver  complaint  when  the  right 
side  is  painful,  and  heart  disease  when  the  trouble  is  with  the 
left  side.  All  such  designations  are  evidence  to  me  that  peo- 
ple learn  nothing  by  symptomatic  indications,  their  diagnoses 
are  invariably  false.  I  have  personally  met  during  the  past 
ten  years  as  many  as  two  hundred  persons  who  have  had  sound 
teeth  extracted  in  numbers  to  cure  an  affection  of  the  nerves 
which  the  dental  operation  greatly  aggravated;  while  the 
multitude  who  are  dosed  almost  if  not  quite  to  death  for  ail- 
ments to  which  they  have  no  tendency — though  the  statement 
is  made  ex  officio  that  they  are  dangerously  ill  with  such  dis- 
eases— is  growing  larger  annually,  so  much  eo  that  no  honest 
physician  can  venture  much  longer  to  experiment  with  the 
human  frame  on  the  basis  of  a  superficial  regard  for  symptoms. 
As  to  dishonest  doctors,  the  public  are  finding  out  their  devices 
rapidly,  and  indignantly  exposing  them.  I  should  prob- 
ably be  denounced  by  many  devoted  '  Christian  Scientists ' 
for  employing  electricity  in  treatment,  but  I  should  care 
nothing  for  such  denunciation,  knowing  it  proceeded  from 
simple  ignorance  of  electrical  action  on  the  human  frame. 

"  Mrs.  Eddy  I  regard  as  a  very  useful  woman  in  many 
ways,  but  though  I  am  more  of  a  metaphysician  in  one  sense 
than  she  is,  I  do  not  undertake  to  make  abstract  metaphysical 
statement  all-in-all  in  my  practice.  I  shall  give  you  one 
remedy  and  only  one;  I  agree  with  Marie  Corelli,  or  her  pre- 
ceptor, that  there  are  twelve  forms  in  which  this  one  universal 
life-giving  agent  can  be  applied  and  manifested,  but  I  should 
have  to  enter  into  zodiacal  therapeutics  and  expound  the  'tree 
of  life,'  mentioned  both  in  Genesis  and  the  Apocalypse,  to 
make  my  meaning  clear  and  illustrate  my  subject,  were  I  to 
expatiate  upon  the  twelve-fold  demonstration.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  that  electricity  is  the  unitary  manifestation  of  spirit ; 
only  in  electric  guise  is  spirit  ever  revealed,  and  while  elec- 


192  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

tricity  is  both  the  "  savor  of  life  unto  life,  and  of  death  unto 
death,'  in  electrical  therapeutics,  the  savant  invariably  works 
with  the  constructive  current,  if  he  be  true  to  the  irreversible 
commandment  of  divine  law ;  '  Kesist  not  evil,  but  overcome 
evil  with  good; '  the  constructive  current  is,  however,  trans- 
formed into  an  agent  of  destruction,  when  it  expels  foreign 
material  from  the  frame,  the  bacteria  concerning  which  there 
is,  at  present,  so  much  glib  prating,  are  driven  out  never  to 
return,  their  vacant  places  never  to  be  reoccupicd  by  similar 
disturbers  of  the  peace,  when  the  element  of  life  enters  in  as 
the  superlatively  strong  man  to  evict  the  relatively  strong, 
who  is,  of  necessity,  comparatively  weak,  when  contrasted  with 
the  stronger.  If  you  ask  me  how  I  explain  the  modus  operandi 
of  regeneration,  I  can  only  answer  in  brief  that  new  cells  and 
tissues,  all  vigorously  healthy  being  formed,  the  old,  decayed 
cells  and  tissues  are  removed  by  natural  expulsion. 

"  I  believe,  indeed  I  will  add,  I  know,  that  mental  treat- 
ment can  be  so  given  as  to  be  all  inclusive,  but  in  such  cases, 
electricity  is  the  agent  employed  by  unseen  operators  in 
rebuilding  the  frame,  though,  in  many  instances — probably 
in  most, — quite  without  the  knowledge  of  the  mental  thera- 
peutist." 

"Excuse  my  interrupting,"  broke  in  Mr.  Templeton,  who 
had  been  an  eager  listener  to  t  e  Professor's  speech,  "but 
are  we  to  conclude,  once  for  all,  that  Jesus  and  the  apostles 
healed  by  electrical  means,  and  that  what  you  term  human 
electricity  issued  from  the  hem  of  Christ's  garment,  reaching 
and  healing  the  woman  who  had  suffered  twelve  years  from  a 
painful  malady  which  Baffled  all  medical  skill,  and  that  the 
same  force  entered  into  the  handkerchiefs  and  aprons  which, 
according  to  the  testimony  of  the  Acts,  were  laid  on  sick 
persons,  and  did  this  same  force  extend  even  to  Peter's 
shadow  and  permeate  the  anointing  oil  recommended  by  James, 
when  applied  by  the  elders  of  the  primitve  church  ?  " 

To  this  the  Professor  replied : 

"I  answer  unreservedly,  yes;  but  I  may  possibly  take  a 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  193 

somewhat  different  view  of  some  of  these  narratives  to  the  one 
you,  doubtless,  entertain,  judging  by  the  style  of  your  interro- 
gations. Now,  in  the  case  of  the  woman  first  referred  to ; 
what  did  the  Great  Healer  say  to  her,  were  not  his  words  on 
several  such  occasions,  'Bo  of  good  cheer,  your  faith  has 
made  you  whole,'  or  a  statement  to  that  effect  ?  Now  faith 
has  three  distinct  elements :  first,  a  sincere  disposition  toward 
right;  second,  confidence  in  the  right  perceived  ;  third,  open 
spiritual  vision,  or  unusually  keen  discernment  of  principle. 
To  say,  *  your  faith  has  made  you  whole,'  is,  therefore,  equiva- 
lent to  the  declaration,  '  you  owe  your  restoration  to  health 
to  your  faithfulness  of  disposition,  your  confidence  in  divine 
truth,  and  your  spiritual  perception  of  what  is  needful  for 
your  welfare.'  Had  I  the  time  and  opportunity  this  evening 
to  explain  the  '  way  of  salvation '  as  I  understand  it,  I  am 
sure  I  could  settle  your  mind  with  regard  to  many  mooted 
theological  questions,  which  still  embarrass  you;  I  will 
endeavor,  in  a  very  few  words,  to  explain  what  I  understand 
by  salvation. 

"  The  great  and  holy  teacher,  Jesus,  was  in  his  terrestrial 
embodiment  a  perfect  human  being,  radiating  constantly  an 
untainted  electric  emanation;  this  absolutely  healthy  life- 
essence  reached  out  to  all  receptive  minds  and  drew  them  to 
him ;  in  him  they  found  all  the  assistance  they  needed  to 
lead  them  to  live  a  healthy  life.  But  be  cautious  here,  and 
beware  lest  you  attribute  to  an  emanation  from  a  physical 
form  what  originates  in  the  unseen  realm  of  spirit,  and  only 
ultimates  itself  in  the  perfect  human  physique.  The  power 
exercised  by  Jesus  was  a  power  which  delivered  from  the  love 
of  sin ;  his  influence  excited  an  ardent  love  of  righteousness, 
and  led  the  suppliant  for  earthly  benefit,  to  seek  first  the 
heavenly  kingdom  of  righteousness,  following  upon  the  dis- 
covery of  which,  earthly  blessings  could  be  fully  realized.  I 
am  not  intending  to  discuss  dogmatic  theology,  which  is 
often  a  belligerent  as  well  as  a  fruitless  theme.  I  am  invit- 
ing you  to  glean  from  the  New  Testament  practical  help  for 


194  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

daily  use ;  therefore,  I  emphasize  those  passages  which  teach 
the  latent  possibilities  of  every  human  soul.  "What  think  you 
mean  the  words  so  often  quoted,  *  The  works  which  I  do,  ye 
shall  do  also? '  Whoever  uttered  such  a  sentence  was  a  true 
scientist,  a  genuine  teacher  of  men,  one  who  explained  the 
road  along  which  we  all  must  travel,  if  we,  too,  would  reach 
the  heights  he  had  already  scaled.  Some  persons  were  not  at 
all  benefitted  by  personal  association  with  the  Christ;  the 
ever  execrated  Judas  Iscariot  had  been  as  near  the  person  of 
his  Master  as  the  beloved  and  ever  faithful  evangelist  John; 
the  people  who  caused  Jesus  to  marvel  at  their  obstinate 
incredulity,  were  as  near  his  body,  and  could  have  touched 
hs  garments  as  readily  as  those  whom  it  appears  were 
instantly  relieved  of  their  infirmities. 

"  What  constitutes  the  difference  between  a  receptive  and 
a  non-receptive  state  ?  You  may  as  well  ask  wherein  a  closed 
window  differs  from  an  open  one.  People  often  open  their  win- 
dows when  they  wish  for  light  and  air ;  they  close  and  barricade 
them  when  they  are  afraid  of  breeze  and  Sunshine.  We  need 
not  go  far  to  find  analogies  in  the  field  of  daily  experience. 
I  am  invited  often  to  the  homes  of  poor,  misguided  worldings 
who  offer  themselves  and  children  in  sacrifice  to  the  moloch 
of  fashion  and  display.  See  those  unhealthy,  wretched 
women,  clad  in  indecent  garments  which  torture  the  '  human 
form  divine,'  into  a  hideous  caricature  of  nature ;  witness  the 
poor,  deluded  worshippers  of  the  upholsterer's  creations, 
whose  sitting-rooms  have  the  odor  of  tombs,  and  whose  child- 
ren are  pentup  in  gilded  cages,  deprived  of  the  rightful  free- 
dom of  youth,  for  fear  that  carpets  may  be  faded  or  soiled 
and  complexions  grow  ruddy  through  exposure  to  the  light 
and  air.  Were  Jesus  on  earth  to-day,  many  a  *  Christian ' 
woman  would  be  insulted  and  turn  indignantly  away,  when 
she  found  that  tight-lacing,  foot-pinching  and  complexion- 
making  were  not  permissible  in  '  the  church  of  the  first-born, 
whose  names  are  written  in  heaven.' 

"We  cannot  disobey  the  law  of   God  made  manifest 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON  195 

throughout  the  illimitable  field  of  nature,  to  gratify  the  ser- 
pent of  our  lowest  instincts  without  paying  the  penalty.  I 
would  offer  the  sternest  rebuke  to  those  pseudo  Christian 
Scientists  who  teach  the  outrageous  falsehood  that  we  can  be- 
come superior  to  the  effect  of  all  external  things  while  we 
pamper  illicit  appetites  and  then  presumptuously  deny  that 
anything  material  can  affect  us;  such  travesties  of  gospel 
teaching  need  to  be  scorched  with  the  fire  of  truthful  teaching 
uutil  they  wither  into  ashes.  I  grant  fully  that  when  people 
live  as  the  gospel  teaches  them  to  live,  they  cannot  bo  harmed 
by  poisons,  serpents  or  aught  else  noxious  under  other  con- 
ditions, but  the  impudent  lie  which  affirms  immunity  from 
consequence  while  error  is  indulged,  is  the  vilest  falsification  of 
the  gospel  ever  fabricated  by  '  mortal  mind '  in  its  most 
ignorant  degree  of  degradation.  I  do  not  read  in  gospel  or 
epistle  that  any  one  was  ever  permanently  saved  from  suffer- 
ing who  was  not  redeemed  from  the  love  of  error,  and  what 
error  is  so  gross,  or  affection  so  degrading  as  that  which  en- 
slaves the  reason  in  the  chains  of  carnal  appetite  and  frivolous 
desire  for  the  world's  applause,  while  in  the  same  breath  we 
are  told  to  ignore  all  things  material  and  all  personal  con- 
cerns, and  trust  entirely  in  Infinite  Spirit  ? 

"The  absence  of  the  jewel  consistency,  from  any  crown, 
will  rob  the  diadem  of  all  abiding  lustre ;  I  do  not  wish  for  a 
moment  to  speak  disparagingly  of  *  Christian  Science,'  but  I  do 
see  rotten  timbers  in  the  vessel  now  launched  upon  the  waves 
bearing  that  inscription.  But  with  regard  to  the  handker- 
chiefs, aprons,  shadows  and  oil  to  which  you  have  called  my 
attention,  I  should  unhesitatingly  pronounce  many  ancient 
beliefs  decidedly  superstitious,  and  I  can  readily  see  how 
many  people  in  an  oriental  country  would  approach  spiritual 
life  through  the  veil  of  their  preconceived  ideas  and  practices. 
I  do  not  accredit  garments,  oils  or  shadows  with  power  to  heal 
the  sick,  but  I  do  know  that  there  is  no  shadow  without  some 
substance  to  cast  it,  while  wearing  apparel  is  not,  in  the  cases 
referred  to,  valued  for  its  own  sake,  but  solely  by  reason  of 


196  ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON 

its  connection  with  an  owner  or  wearer  who  inspires  confidence 
and  esteem ;  and  the  very  fact  of  the  oil  being  ceremoniously 
administered  by  persons  in  high  standing  among  the  gnostic 
brethren  of  the  first  century,  is  to  my  mind,  sufficient  proof 
that  these  outward  things  were  nothing  in  themselves,  but 
only  serviceable  as  they  enabled  very  crude  and  undeveloped 
intellects  to  lay  hold  of  a  truth  whose  naked  beauty  they  could 
not  at  once  discern." 

"  Still,"  continued  Mr.  Templeton,  "  granting  all  you  say, 
and  I  most  cordially  thank  you  for  your  exceeding  plainness 
of  speech  and  clearness  of  doctrine,  is  there  not,  after  all, 
something  solid  in  the  claim  of  the  animal  magnetist,  or  cer- 
tainly in  that  of  the  psychologist,  mesmerist  or  electro-biolo- 
gist to  whose  instrumentality  we  undoubtedly  owe  some  cases 
of  complete,  and  many  of  partial  restoration  to  health  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  see,"  resumed  the  Professor,  "  that  1  need  to 
alter  my  base,  or  in  the  slightest  degree  vary  my  position  to 
admit  that  a  healthy  state  of  mind  overflows  in  a  torrent  of 
healthy  magnetism.  I  claim  always  that  animal  magnetism 
is  not  what  we  should  seek  for ;  too  often  it  is  most  grievously 
polluted  and  is  not  at  all  an  agreeable  or  a  safe  thing  to  han- 
dle when  in  a  tainted  condition.  I  put  it  to  you  as  a  reason- 
able man,  does  it  seem  feasible  that  an  unhealthy  body  should 
communicate  pure  vital  force  to  another  frame?  Of  what 
character  and  in  what  condition  are  the  bulk  of  magnetic 
healers  and  those  who  practice  massage  ¥  I  do  not  suggest 
that  they  are  below  the  average  man  or  woman,  but  are  they 
above  mediocrity  in  any  direction  ?  Anyone  can  give  magnetic 
treatment,  but  can  anyone  heal  the  sick  by  laying  on  of  hands  ? 
Echo  answers  no  !  Now,  if  we  allow  that  many  people  whose 
outward  methods  are  defective,  accomplish  good  because  of 
their  goodness  of  heart  and  sincerity  of  purpose,  I  will  agree 
with  you  that  all  schools  enjoy  a  limited  amount  of  success, 
and  in  this  connection  I  beg  you  to  note  that  ninety  per  cent, 
of  those  who  heal  by  such  methods  are  Spiritualists  and  claim 
to  be  mediums.  Their  own  theory  then,  demolishes  belief  in 


ObESIMUS  TEMPLETON  197 

what  is  animal,  and  lifts  the  healing  gift  into  a  purely  psychic 
realm,  where  it  is  made  to  depend  on  the  intelligent  action  of 
unseen  human  beings. 

"  Mrs.  Richmond,  of  Chicago, — whose  inspired  addresses 
I  often  read  with  much  pleasure, — though  not  by  any  means 
friendly  to  certain  phases  of  the  Christian  or  Mental  Science 
movement,  takes  this  latter  ground  and  defends  it  forcibly. 
Now,  as  I  cannot  deal  with  pluralities,  such  as  laws  andjorces, 
continually  without  confounding  those  who  come  to  me  for 
instruction,  I  bring  everything  to  a  point  of  unity  and  speak 
of  law  and  force  in  the  singular.  I  am  often  provoked  to 
laughter  by  the  absurd  statements  of  many  conceited  scio- 
lists who,  ignorant  of  the  very  first  principle,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  latest  discoveries  in  chemistry,  inform  the  readers  of 
some  small  newspapers  that  because  modern  chemists  tell  of 
somewhere  about  seventy  primates,  therefore,  nature  does  not 
proclaim  unity.  To  such  unenlightened  dabblers  in  science,  I 
would  like  to  say  that  there  is  not  a  chemist  of  any  repute  on 
either  side  of  the  Atlantic  or  Pacific  who  does  not  maintain 
that  all  primates  must  be  ultimately  reducible  to  one  abso- 
lute primary.  This  essential  primary  I  maintain,  is  elec- 
tricity, which,  in  its  turn,  is  but  the  outward  garb  of  pure 
spirit,  itself  ever  invisible,  the  unseen  cause  of  all  things, 
known  only  through  its  manifestations." 

As  the  conversation  proceeded,  Mrs.  Kittenscomb  had 
fallen  into  a  profound  slumber,  from  which  she  awoke  sud- 
denly after  about  an  hour's  enjoyment  of  most  perfect  and 
refreshing  rest,  exclaiming: 

"Oh,  I  see  it  all  now;  I  have  been  grieving  for  the  loss 
of  my  husband's  body,  and  now  I  am  to  blend  my  efforts  with 
his  in  enlarging  the  sphere  of  his  present  ministry.  To  do 
this,  to  co-operate  in  his  endeavors,  I  must  forget  self  and 
disembarrass  my  mind  of  all  concern  for  material  welfare ; 
dear  little  Alicia,  how  often  have  you  told  me  your  papa  was 
with  you  in  spirit,  and  I  could  not  realize  it ;  now  I  have  seen 
him  and  he  tells  me  that  you  must  grow  up  as  the  flowers 


ONESIMU8  TEMPLETON 

grow ;  I  am  not  to  tax  you  with  stated  lessons,  and  oh,  he 
bids  me  thank  you  sincerely,  kind,  good  Professor,  and  you, 
my  lovely  young  lady,  for  the  blessed  offer  of  a  twenty-one 
days'  sojourn  in  this  delightful  home.  I  have  not  rested  for 
twenty  years  until  this  evening ;  I  have  slept  often  for  many 
consecutive  hours,  often  forced  into  unnatural  slumber  by 
poisonous  opiates;  now  I  shall  recover,  I  know  I  shall;  I 
shall  live  not  only  for  my  daughter's  sake,  but  for  humanity ; 
we  shall  travel  together  carrying  tidings  of  comfort  to  the 
sad,  pointing  the  weary  to  the  true  fountion  of  refreshment. 
Oh,  how  can  we  repay  you  for  all  your  goodness,  dear,  kind 
friends  ?  The  Bible  talks  of  entertaining  angels ;  we  are  being 
entertained  by  angels,  and  you  are  among  the  fairest  heaven 
has  commissioned  to  abide  awhile  on  this  dark  globe  to  draw 
its  erring  children  nearer  to  heaven's  light." 

"  My  good  friend,"  replied  the  Professor,  "  give  God  the 
glory ;  do  not  extol  His  humble  instruments  so  highly ;  it  is 
'  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive ; '  therefore,  at  present, 
ours  is  the  greater  boon ;  but  as  in  the  march  of  the  cycles, 
whatever  good  is  given  to  others  returns  in  blessing  to  those 
who  gave  it  forth,  never  fear  that  you  or  we  shall  not  be  quite. 
Now  throwing  aside  all  thought  of  reward,  which  we  do  not 
crave,  your  presence  in  our  house  will  add  to  our  pleasure  and 
that  of  all  our  guests ;  your  rooms  are  already  in  order,  if  you 
will  remain  to-night;  should  you  prefer  to  sleep  one  more 
night  in  your  old  quarters,  you  can  prepare  to  be  our  guests 
(remember  we  take  no  one  to  board)  by  one  o'clock  to-morrow. 
I  know  you  would  say  that  I  am  a  physician  and  you  will 
insist  on  paying  my  fees ;  I  am  nothing  of  that  kind ;  my 
income  is  ample  and  derived  from  other  sources.  You  are 
Azoriel's  guests,  as  such  we  rejoice  to  be  privileged  to  enter- 
tain you.  Now  let  us  consider  this  matter  aettled  and  adjourn 
to  the  music-room,  where  my  daughter  and  her  friend,  Miss 
O'Shannon,  will  give  us  some  delightful  music." 

The  party  having  assembled  near  the  organ  and  piano, 
tha  two  young  ladies  took  their  seats,  each  at  her  respective 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  199 

instrument.  Heloise's  masterly  manipulation  of  the  great 
organ  whose  jubilant  and  plaintive  strains  alternately  rose 
and  sobbed  through  the  spacious  apartment,  was  greatly 
enhanced  by  the  sweet,  sympathetic  responses  and  blendings 
of  harmony,  which  issued  from  the  superb  piano  whose  key- 
board Lydia  Shannon's  gentle  fingers  swept  with  all  the  skill 
of  an  accomplished  master's  hand.  At  last  their  voices  rose 
together  in  a  faultless  rendition  of  the  beautiful  hymn, 
"  Holiest  breathe  an  evening  blessing,  ere  repose  our  eyelids 
seal." 

The  singular  charm  of  these  renditions  was  that  the 
extempore  melodies  were  played  and  sung  together  in  as 
perfect  accord  by  the  two  performers  as  though  they  had 
practised  for  days  together  to  insure  perfection.  A  power 
greater  than  practice  made  practice  in  their  case  unnecessary. 
The  Baroness  and  the  Kittenscombs  bade  their  adieux  shortly 
before  midnight,  and  silence  once  more  wrapped  "  The  Palms  " 
in  its  embrace." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

KNOWLEDGE  APPLIED,  OB  POWER  IN  ACTION. 

' '  Even  so  would  I  act, 
That,  when  this  life  is  o'er, 
I  may  face  up  its  fact 
Upon  th'  eternal  shore, 
Without  a  conscious  blush 
For  duty  left  undone — 
Without  a  tearful  sigh 
For  battles  yet  unwon. 
Even  so  would  I  rise 
Beyond  this  fading  sphere 
Into  the  cloudless  light 
Of  heaven's  pure  atmosphere." 

A  period  of  unexampled  profit  and  pleasure  had  drawn  to 
an  end  for  our  friends  so  delightfully  domiciled  at  "The 
Palms."  During  that  time  no  one  was  perhaps  so  greatly 
benefited  as  Mrs.  Kittenscomb,  who  had  completely  recovered 
all  her  original  buoyancy  of  spirits  and  frame,  and  more  than 
her  former  love  of  life  and  keen  appreciation  of  the  beautiful, 
under  Prof,  de  Montmarte's  spiritual  electric  treatment. 

Miss  Newmanhoff  had  departed  in  tearful  dudgeon,  and 
yet  with  secret  joy,  to  spend  six  weeks  or  longer  with  relatives 
in  Germany.  That  pious,  but  bigoted,  lady  had  been  once  to 
"The  Palms,"  on  the  occasion  of  her  kind  employer's  removal 
thither.  Impressed  though  she  was,  and  that  forcibly,  by  the 
sumptuous  magnificence  she  oberved  there,  and  particularly 
fascinated  by  the  perfect  and  charming  courtesy  of  Heloise, 
she  still  remained  firm  in  her  impression  (poor  benighted 
creature  that  she  was,  in  spite  of  her  piety)  that  to  attempt  to 
heal  the  sick,  except  in  accordance  with  the  stereotyped 


ONESIMIJS  TEMPLETON  201 

methods  of  fossilized  medical  colleges,  was  to  fly  in  the  face 
of  Providence,  and  call  down  a  curse  on  all  who  dabbled  in 
the  "black  art,"  as  this  Christian- heathen  blindly,  but  blas- 
phemously styled  the  method  advocated  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment on  the  highest  conceivable  authority. 

"  Beware  of  the  wiles  of  the  devil,  Satan  ia  appearing  to 
you  in  masquerade;  you  think  him  an  angel  of  light,  while  he 
is  the  prince  of  darkness.  Oh,  my  dear,  dear  lady,  beware 
how  you  imperil  the  interests  of  your  immortal  soul,  as  you 
vainly  strive  to  revivify  your  poor  fleshly  body  in  a  manner 
forbidden  by  the  Almighty ! "  remonstrated  Miss  Newman  - 
hoff. 

"  My  good  friend,"  responded  Mrs.  Kittenscomb,  "  you 
have  most  strangely  misconceived  the  situation.  What  you 
term  *  forbidden  of  God,'  I  maintain  is  expressly  commanded 
in  the  gospel.  I  must  say  the  electric  agency  employed  is 
new  to  me,  but  there  is  the  only  point  of  difference  I  can  see 
between  the  apostolic  mode  of  healing  and  the  system  prac- 
ticed by  Professor  de  Montmarte;  but  you,  who  believe  in 
medicine  and  consult  physicians,  cannot  be  unaware  that  the 
highest  medical  talent  of  to-day  favors  in  some  form  electric 
usage.  I  am  not  sufficiently  well  informed  on  the  nature  and 
application  of  electricity  to  venture  anything  of  an  opinion  on 
its  curative  efficacy;  but,  when  it  comes  to  the  purely  spiritual 
power  of  the  Professor's  treatment,  a  glance  at  your  Bible 
ought  to  convince  you  that  regular  physicians  (not  meta- 
physicians) are  advocating  practicing  what  no  prophet  nor 
apostle,  nor  Christ  himself,  ever  sanctioned.  If  your  view  of 
the  case  is  the  scriptural  one  who  among  the  sacred  writers 
endorse  it  ?  From  a  child  I  have  been  a  Bible  student,  and 
have  held  many  conversations  with  eminent  divines  and  cele- 
brated physicians  attached  to  the  Christian  faith  on  these 
very  matters,  and  I  must  say  I  never  received  any  satisfactory 
reply  from  any.  My  dear  husband,  in  the  last  sermon  he 
ever  preached,  uttered  the  following  words  which  have  rung 
in  my  memory  thousands  of  times  during  my  illness,  when 


202  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

medicine  seemed  to  make  me  worse  rather  than  better,  and 
no  one  but  Alicia  could  ever  soothe  my  aching  brow  or  give 
me  a  moment's  respite. 

"In  my  opinion  and  that  of  many  of  the  most  distin- 
guished bishops,  clergy  and  laymen  of  our  beloved  national 
church,  there  is  in  the  present  revival  of  religion  in  England 
a  cloud,  as  yet,  perhaps,  no  bigger  than  a  man's  hand,  arising 
in  t  je  East,  betokening  a  downpour  of  healing  rain,  which 
will  revive  the  gifts  of  healing  exercised  in  the  primitive 
church.  Is  it  not  sadly  probable  that  oar  present  lament- 
able destitution  of  spiritual  evidences  is  due  to  our  rigid 
formalism,  coupled  with  the  still  greater  danger  of  a  devoted 
mammon  worship  ?  I  pray  God  this  hopeful  prediction  may 
be  speedily  fulfilled!" 

Miss  Newmanhoff  who.  well  knew  by  much  past  experi- 
ence that  augument  never  convinced  Mrs.  Kittenscomb  when 
her  lamented  husband's  views  were  in  dispute,  wisely  refrained 
from  continuing  the  attack.  She,  however,  firmly  persisted 
in  her  old  way  of  thinking  and  remained  obstinately  deaf  to 
every  persuasion  and  entreaty  to  investigate  this  subject  for 
herself. 

Persons  of  her  type  are  better  left  alone ;  they  are  not 
prepared  to  digest  any  different  spiritual  or  mental  food  from 
that  which  they  so  eagerly  relish,  and  while  they  entertain 
erroneous  opinions  on  many  points,  despite  their  narrowness 
and  perversity  of  sentiment,  they  are  often  thoroughly  con- 
scientiousness people,  in  whom  genuine  goodness  of  disposi- 
tion more  than  atones  for  lack  of  sympathy  with  more  ad- 
vanced ideas. 

During  Mrs.  Kittenscomb's  residence  at  "  The  Palms  " 
she  had  seen  and  heard  many  things  almost  too  wonderful  to 
relate,  and  as  her  experiences  were  many  of  them  private  and 
personal,  specially  connected  with  her  family  affairs,  a  narra- 
tion of  such  would  hardly  interest  the  general  reader,  especi- 
ally as  we  have  already  introduced  accounts  of  phenomena  fully 
as  wonderful. 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  203 

On  the  2d  of  September  the  party  were  all  sitting  in  the 
library,  about  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  Zenophon 
showed  extraordinary  signs  of  restlessness;  he  paced  the  floor 
like  a  fierce  animal  in  captivity,  and  kept  exclaiming: 

"Oh,  my  dear  master,  nothing  shall  ever  separate  us 
again  now  we  are  once  more  united  !  " 

Professor  de  Montemarte  and  Heloise  were  actively  en- 
gaged in  writing  at  their  respective  desks  in  the  ppacious 
apartment,  and,  being  completely  absorbed  in  their  work, 
hardly  noticed  the  boy's  singular  conduct,  which  greatly  in- 
pressed  all  other  members  of  the  company. 

Mr.  Templeton  and  Lydia,  who  had  by  this  time  begun 
talking  of  their  approaching  wedding,  and  who  had  grown 
together  into  an  understanding  of  the  various  signs  which  de- 
note mesmeric  influence,  paused  in  their  conversation  about 
the  new  life  they  were  to  live  together  to  beg  of  the  boy  to  re- 
fuse to  permit  himself  to  be  controlled  by  the  will  of  Count 
Katolowynski,  who  had  that  very  day  arrived  in  Paris  from 
Southampton,  at  which  point  the  "  Teuf elheute  "  had  recently 
deposited  him.  Speaking  to  the  lad  was  evidently  quite  use- 
less, and  he  continued  to  mutter  to  himself  words  of  submis- 
sion and  endearment  coupled  with  occasional  outbursts  of 
sorrow  for  having  ever  permitted  himself  to  be  torn  from  the 
embrace  of  his  only  true  friend,  and  the  only  person  on  earth 
to  whom  he  could  ever  become  sincerely  and  permanently  at- 
tached, and  whose  companionship  he  declared  would  consti- 
tute his  heaven  in  the  life  beyond.  At  length,  he  assumed  a 
defiant  attitude,  and  with  hands  outstretched  in  evident 
malediction  toward  his  kind  host  and  hostess  fell  on  the  floor 
in  a  deep  swoon,  trembling  violently.  At  length  he  became 
cold  as  ice  and  rigid  as  marble.  Shortly  his  features  relaxed 
and  a  triumphant,  though  sinister  smile  lighted  up  his  marble 
features;  then,  reaching  out  his  hand  to  some  form  unseen  by 
all  save  himself,  he  breathed  softly,  "  Now  we  are  each  others 
for  eternity." 

In  this  passive  condition  he  remained  till  dinner  was  an- 


204  ONESIMUS  TENPLETON 

nounced,  when  he  suddenly  sprang  to  his  feet,  rushed  into  the 
garden,  and  took  refuge  in  the  summer-house  a  favorite  haunt 
of  his,  whither  he  often  resorted  to  read,  write  and  paint  at 
leisure. 

All  save  the  Montmartes,  being  painfully  struck  with  the 
unwelcome  change  in  the  boy's  manner,  were  eager  to  inquire 
into  its  cause;  but,  as  it  was  a  law  at  "  The  Palms  "  never  to 
ask  questions  on  personal  matters  in  the  presence  of  servants, 
even  though  they  were  not  supposed  to  comprehend  English 
they  impatiently  deferred  their  comments  till  the  meal  was 
over. 

A  storm  had  been  gathering  all  day,  and  the  party  had 
scarcely  left  the  table  when  peals  of  thunder  rent  the  air, 
lightning  flashed  vividly,  and  rain  began  to  descend  in  tor- 
rents. Fearing  Zenophon  might  be  frightened  at  the  storm, 
Heloise  who  feared  nothing  and  never  caught  cold,  attired 
in  an  appropriate  outer  garment  and  encasing  her  feet  in 
goloshes,  ran  to  the  summer  house  to  bring  back  the  boy  or 
keep  him  company.  Weat  was  her  surprise  to  find  Zenophon 
prostrate  on  the  floor  covered  with  the  Count's  magnificent 
traveling  coat  of  Kussian  sable,  the  Count  meanwhile  singing 
a  strange,  weird  melody  which  Heloise  at  once  detected  as  an 
Indian  song  of  the  far-famed  serpent-charmers. 

As  she  approached,  the  Count  abruptly  ceased  singing, 
and  bowing  with  mock  deference  said  tauntingly :  "  So,  my 
fair  enchantress,  I  have  called  you  to  me  as  well  as  my  Greek 
slave.  Where  is  your  protector  now  ?  I  want  nothing  of  you, 
and  you  know  it;  but  if  you  attempt  to  interfere  in  the 
Slightest  degree  with  my  moving  Zenophon  forever  from  your 
father's  house  and  guardianship,  I  will  strike  you  dead  where 
you  stand,  and  not  a  physician  on  earth  but  will  declare  you 
were  struck  by  lightning." 

As  he  spoke,  he  drew  from  his  apparel  a  small  magician's 
wand,  in  reality  an  electric  contrivance  of  considerable  medical 
or  surgical  utility,  but  a  deadly  weapon  when  used  with  de- 
liberate, foul  intent  by  a  desperado.  Rising  in  the  majesty  of 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  205 

her  royal  dignity,  the  imperial  girl,  whom  nothing  could 
daunt,  confronted  the  haughty  and  vindictive  Russian  in  tones 
of  such  stern  and  positive  defiance  that  for  a  moment  he 
winced  under  the  lash  of  her  burning  words;  then  stooping 
over  the  sleeping  form  of  Zenophon,  she  addressed  him  in 
tones  full  of  kindness,  but  penetrative  with  the  voice  of  indu~ 
bitable  authority. 

"  Awake,  thou  art  forever  freed  from  the  tempter's  snare." 
The  boy  moved  restlessly,  as  though  in  an  uneasy  dream,  then 
turned  his  face  in  the  direction  of  the  Count,  who  immediately 
breathed  in  his  nostrils  and  said : 

"Zenophon,  you  are  mine  forever;  now  come  with  me, 
and  heaven  on  earth  shall  be  your  portion." 

The  boy  rose  instantly  to  obey,  when  a  more  vivid  flash  of 
forked  lightning  than  any  which  had  yet  appeared,  illumined 
the  summer-house  as  though  with  a  blaze  of  lurid  fire;  instantly 
a  crash  of  thunder  followed,  making  the  frail  building  shake 
as  though  rocked  by  an  earthquake.  The  lightning  had  struck 
the  summer-house  and  passed  directly  by  the  side  of  the  now 
thoroughly  frightened  boy;  his  hair  was  singed,  one  of  his 
fingers  smarted  sharply,  and  his  whole  frame  quivered  with 
fright  and  pain ;  he  was  not,  however,  seriously  injured ;  in 
his  terror,  he  clutched  the  garments  of  Heloise,  and  shook 
himself  free  of  the  Count's  touch  as  though  that  handsome, but 
unprincipled  nobleman  had  besn  the  sole  cause  of  his  alarm 
and  suffering.  Seeing  his  prey  thus  escaping  from  his  grasp, 
the  mesmeric  trance  entirely  over  and  the  powers  guiding  and 
working  through  his  opponent  on  the  verge  of  victory ;  ren- 
dered desperate  with  anger  not  unmixed  with  fear,  he  dared 
to  use  brute  force  to  recapture  his  victim  ;  in  seeking  to  drag 
the  boy  from  her,  he  struck  Heloise  a  smart  blow  on  the  face, 
an  indignity  she  had  never  in  her  life  suffered  from  anyone. 

A  scene  followed  which  words  are  powerless  to  describe; 
the  noble  daughter  of  old  Chahlea  rose  in  the  majesty  of  her 
more  than  simply  human  strength,  and  with  one  touch  of  her 


206  ONESIMU8  TEMPLETON 

finger  on  the  Count's  forthead,  caused  him  to  fall  prostrate 
on  the  ground. 

"  Who  is  struck  by  lightning,  now  ?  "  she  queried  of  the 
motionless  form  at  her  feet;  "stir  at  your  deadly  peril; 
Azoriel  whom  you  despise,  is  mighty  in  righteous  indignation 
when  sinners  trample  justice  and  human  liberties  in  the  dust; 
I  warn  you,  should  you  attempt  to  touch  that  boy,  or  lay  a 
finger  on  me,  your  beauty  will  be  withered  and  your  power 
taken  from  you,  never  to  be  recovered  on  this  side  of  the  grave. 
Zenophon  is  now  a  member  of  an  order  into  whose  sacred  pre- 
cincts such  minds  as  yours  can  never  enter,  nor  even  know  of 
its  existence,  till  purified  by  bitter  suffering,  from  the  veil  of 
error  and  selfishness  which  now  beclouds  them.  Live  for  good, 
use  your  gifts  for  the  elevation  of  humanity,  and  this  shock 
will  but  add  to  your  endowments  by  relieving  you  of  much 
that  has  kept  you  back  from  the  ardent  dream  of  your  life ; 
but  attempt  again  to  employ  vile  sorcery  to  others'  detriment, 
and  as  surely  as  justice  reigns  on  High,  shall  your  power  be 
taken  from  you,  and  as  but  a  wreck  of  your  former  self  shall 
leave  this  place  to-night." 

Professor  de  Montmarte  and  Mr.  Templeton  arrived  at 
the  spot  at  the  moment  Heloise  was  declaiming  justice  on  the 
offender ;  her  superb  scorn,  manifest  in  every  feature  of  her 
expressive  face  and  every  accent  of  her  ringing  voice,  made  her 
appear  a  princess  of  an  ancient  temple,  calling  down  vengeance 
on  an  unrepentant  criminal  who  sought  the  destruction  of  one 
whom  she  had  sworn  to  defend  from  all  peril.  The  Professor 
though  usually  so  calm,  at  sight  of  Count  Katolowynski  on 
his  premises,  evidently  bent  on  mischief,  was  about  to  rush 
upon  the  intruder  and  deal  with  him  as  he  deserved,  when  in 
an  instant  his  daughter  turned  to  him  with  flashing  eyes, 
firmly  uttering  the  words : 

"  Father,  he  is  Azoriel's  prisoner ;  leave  him  to  a  higher 
power  than  thine."  Then  speaking  to  the  Count,  she  said : 

"  Go  !  now  and  forever,  and  remember  the  warning,  '  Sin 
no  more  lest  a  worse  thing  come  upon  thee.' "  Docile  as  a 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  207 

child,  utterly  subdued  though  unrepentant,  the  humiliated 
Russian  who  had  bribed  servants  to  effect  a  clandestine 
entrance  through  the  Professor's  grounds,  moved  out  through 
the  garden  in  the  drenching  rain,  speechless,  amazed,  con- 
founded ;  while  Zenophon,  already  recovered  from  the  shock, 
said  in  clear,  decided  tones : 

"Count  Katolowynski,  farewell  forever;  you  and  I  can 
never  cross  each  other's  path  again."  Without  a  word  or 
single  backward  glance,  the  once  master  of  the  now  completely 
liberated  boy,  strode  rapidly  through  the  enclosure  and  out 
into  the  storm,  to  recover  as  best  as  he  could  from  a  blow 
which  had  humbled  his  pride  to  the  very  dust,  and  deprived 
him  of  the  only  ally  he  had  ever  found  capable  of  so  fully  re- 
sponding to  his  will  as  to  furnish  him  the  assistance  indis- 
pensable to  the  carrying  out  of  his  most  treasured  schemes  for 
self  promotion  through  the  banishment  of  his  fellow  country- 
men to  the  awful  wilderness  of  Siberia. 

The  storm  subsided,  quickly  as  it  had  arisen ;  the  thunder 
sounded  faint  and  distant,  the  rain  passed  off  in  a  quiet 
shower,  and  soon  ceased  altogether ;  the  stars  shone  forth  one 
by  one,  like  eyes  of  angels  watching  the  inhabitants  of  earth ; 
a  lovely  night  set  in,  made  vocal  with  the  songs  of  nightingales, 
and  perfumed  with  the  breath  of  countless  flowers  which 
always  breathe  their  sweetest  fragrance  after  a  grand  upheaval 
of  the  elements,  as  though  to  return  thanks  to  Heaven  for 
deliverance  from  the  tempest,  praise  to  the  Power  Divine 
which,  through  the  agency  of  nature's  most  dread  convulsions, 
purifies  the  earth  and  opens  the  way  for  fairer  days,  providing 
healthier  conditions  for  all  things  living. 

The  two  gentlemen,  Heloise  and  Zenophon,  returned 
quietly  to  the  house  and  related  something  of  their  strange 
adventure  to  the  ladies  awaiting  them,  who  were  more  fascin- 
ated than  awed  by  Professor  de  Montmarte's  guarded  but 
accurate  recital.  As  soon  as  this  was  ended,  Lydia  went  to 
the  piano,  and  under  a  decided  and  beautiful  inspiration, 


208  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

sang  that  lovely  melody  "Zion"by  Rodney,  the  refrain  of 
which  is — 

"After  the  storm  they  rest  in  peace, 

Where  there  shall  be  no  night; 
After  the  toil  they  find  release, 

After  the  darkness  light, 
Ended  life's  weary  quest, 

Never  again  to  roam, 
After  the  strife  at  rest, 

After  the  wandering  home. 

The  song  was  hardly  finished  when  the  postman  brought 
letters  for  Mr.  Templeton  and  Mrs.  Finchley,  bearing  the 
American  postmark.  Before  they  were  opened,  Heloise,  who 
seemed  to  be  in  no  way  injured  or  upset  by  her  recent  en- 
counter, said  the  moment  they  were  delivered,  "Dear  friends, 
we  shall  miss  you  all  very  much  indeed,  but  the  time  has  now 
arrived  when  you  must  recommence  your  work  in  your  old 
homes,  but  for  two  of  you  how  different,  how  much  larger  the 
scope  of  the  work  and  how  much  happiness  in  each  other's 
company.  As  you  are  Americans,  and  non- Catholics,  we  have 
spoken  to  the  American  minister  and  you  can  be  married  next 
Monday  morning  in  the  American  Chapel,  then  you  must  start 
for  Lome.  Dr.  Maxwell,  who  has  been  closeted  with  my 
father,  when  not  shut  up  in  his  own  room  perusing  rare  manu- 
scripts, during  the  past  three  weeks,  will  prepare  you  while 
on  the  voyage  for  all  you  have  to  undertake  when  you  reach 
your  homes;  you  will  continue  to  see  a  great  deal  of  each 
other,  and  the  fruits  of  your  visit  here  will  be  apparent 
immediately  you  reach  America." 

The  letters,  when  opened,  were  to  the  following  effect: 
Mrs.  Templeton  wrote  to  her  son  saying  the  parish  was  in 
great  need  of  him,  especially  as  the  Eev.  V.  Mewle  was  making 
most  unwarrantable  attempts  to  annex  the  congregation  of 
the  Saddlerock  church  to  his  own,  by  dictating  to  them  what 
pastor  they  should  elect  in  the  event  of  Mr.  Templeton  not 
returning.  (Mr.  Mewle  said  privately,  Mr.  Templeton  never 


ON14&IMUS  TEMPLETON  200 

would  return,  as  he  was  "shoveling  in  more  shekels  else- 
where"),  Mr.  Mewle  continued  to  -vociferate  against  every 
liberal  idea,  and  used  his  utmost  influence  to  keep  back 
progress  in  every  shape  in  the  community.  This  honorable 
and  reverend  gentleman  had  a  nephew  freshly  graduated  from 
Yale,  whom  he  desired  to  see  in  Mr.  Templeton's  place,  and 
three-fourths  of  whose  salary  he  wished  to  claim  on  the  plea 
of  influence  and  continued  maintenance. 

Mr.  Mewle  was  one  of  the  elect  that  could  not  err ;  per- 
fectly sanctified,  a  conductor  of  holiness  meetings,  and  an 
advocate  of  the  hideous  heresy  that  those  who  had  once 
discovered  that  they  were  God's  chosen  people,  could  do  no 
wrong,  however  they  might  violate  every  just  law  of  earth  as 
well  as  heaven.  Alas,  for  the  ridiculousness  of  self-conceit  at 
any  time !  but  deeper  woe  to  those  whose  spiritual  pride  and 
arrogant  self-importance  lead  them  to  mistake  their  own  in- 
superable vanity  for  complete  evidence  of  the  Almighty's 
special  interest  in  their  small,  mean  selves.  Mrs.  Templeton 
wrote  with  a  heart  full  of  gratitude,  and  a  mind  clearly  awake 
to  the  benefits  her  son  had  undoubtedly  received  from  his 
sojourn  with  such  truly  enlightened  friends,  first  in  New  York 
and  then  in  Paris;  she  was  very  reluctant  to  tear  him  away 
from  such  good  company,  but  trusted  she  might  have  the 
pleasure  of  welcoming  Mrs.  Finchley  and  Dr.  Maxwell  to  her 
humble  but  pleasant  home  amid  the  green  hills  of  Vermont. 
Though  not  exactly  glad  to  take  a  second  place  in  her  son's 
affections  in  future,  she  was  prepared  to  welcome  his  bride 
with  motherly  affection,  and  would  vow  faithfully  never  to  be 
that  bone  of  contention  in  a  family  a  meddling  mother-in-law 
ever  is;  she  was  sure  Lydia  and  herself  would  be  the  best 
of  friends,  and  trusted  Lydia's  mother  would  reciprocate  the 
feeling  she  was  desirous  of  extending  to  the  kind-hearted 
Irishwoman,  whom  she  had  seen  only  once,  and  then  for  not 
over  five  minutes,  amid  the  hurry  of  train  departure  at  a 
junction  between  S^ddlerock  and  New  York.  The  letter 
ended  with  an  outline  of  her  own  experiences,  which  were  in- 


210  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON 

tensely  interesting  and  peculiarly  gratifying  to  her  son  and 
daughter-in-law-elect. 

Mrs.  Finchley's  letter  contained  no  very  striking  news, 
but  an  urgent  appeal  to  herself  and  nephew  to  return  to  New 
York  as  soon  as  possible,  as  the  gentleman  left  in  charge  of 
the  house  and  business  had  been  suddenly  summoned  to 
return  to  his  parents  in  Germany,  who  were  in  great  need  of 
his  presence  and  assistance;  he  would  not  leave  till  Dr. 
Maxwell  returned  and  relieved  him  of  all  obligations;  but 
being  a  firm  believer  in  Mrs.  Finchley's  clairvoyant  gift,  he 
begged  her  to  advise  him  what  to  do,  and  telegraph  a  response 
if  there  was  anything  urgent  to  communicate.  Dr.  Maxwell 
at  once  assented  to  the  idea  that  their  mission  of  delightful 
experience  in  Europe  was  accomplishod  for  the  present ;  they 
had  seen  wonders  transcending  those  of  fairy  lore,  and  could 
take  the  words  Nunc  £>immittis  appropriately  upon  their  lips 
as  they  wended  their  homeward  way. 

Mr.  Templeton  had  most  peculiar  reasons  for  gladness 
and  thankfulness;  he  had  emerged  completely  from  under 
the  old  shadow  which  had  hung  over  his  life  and  threatened 
to  entomb  him  in  its  embrace ;  he  had  secured  as  his  affianced 
wife,  a  girl  who  was  hourly  developing  into  his  ideal  of  woman- 
hood, and  for  whom  he  entertained  no  rapturous,  fleeting 
passion,  but  a  deep,  earnest  love,  which  with  every  new  day 
grew  holier  and  more  intense.  Mrs.  Kittenscomb,  accompanied 
by  Alicia,  was  to  join  the  returning  party,  as  the  lovely  child 
had  seen  in  her  visions  an  outline  of  the  work  she  was  to  fulfill 
in  coming  years,  and  her  mother  was  wishful  to  escape  from 
the  scenes  too  closely  connected  with  the  buried  form  of  her 
beloved  husband,  and  the  influence  of  relatives  who  had  never 
understood  her. 

Professor  de  Montmarte  and  Heloise  heartily  concurred 
in  the  arrangement,  and  wishing  all  God-speed  in  their  new 
departure,  made  unusual  efforts  to  make  the  closing  days  of 
their  friends'  stay  in  Paris  exceptionably  agreeable.  Having 
consummated  the  special  purpose  for  which  they  had  been 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON  211 

brought  to  "The  Pulrns,"  there  was  now  nothing  to  be  done 
bat  enjoy  the  beautiful  summer  scenery  and  the  delights  of 
unalloyed  and  ever-strengthening  friendship.  The  last  Satur- 
day and  Sunday  in  the  gay  French  metropolis  were  days  ever 
to  be  remembered  as  landmarks  in  their  career,  veritable  open- 
ings of  the  doors  of  heaven.  The  opera  never  seemed  so 
entrancing  as  on  that  last  evening  at  the  Comique,  when 
Arabella  Von  der  Stael  took  the  Parisians  by  storm  in  her 
superb  impersonation  of  Clarice  in  "  Le  Singe  de  Mon  Cceur* 
the  latest  and  most  amusing  creation  of  the  ever  enjoyable 
Oufenstahl. 

Monday  morning  at  eleven  o'clock,  in  the  American 
Chapel,  the  Rev.  Clovis  Herron  of  Chicago,  made  Onesimus 
Templeton  and  Lydia  O'Shannon  man  and  wife.  After 
the  formal  ceremony,  which  was  witnessed  by  only  twelve 
people,  the  party  returned  to  "The  Palms,"  and  there  par- 
ticipated in  nuptial  exercises  pertaining  to  higher  spheres  of 
perception  than  the  average  mind  can  grasp. 

END  OF  PART  L 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

A    PSYCHICAL   BOMANCE    BY   W.  J.  COLVILLB. 


PART  II. 


HAPPY    HOURS    IN    LONDON. 


"  Oh,  wherefore  must  we  say  good-bye 

To  scenes  surpassing  bright  and  fair? 
Why  should  not  nature  for  us  all 

Forever  radiant  graces  wear? 
Does  not  our  life  forever  tend 

To  realms  of  light  and  joy  divine, 
Where  through  unnumbered  happy  years 

We  shall  in  God's  own  image  shine? 
Be  this  the  truth;  yet  still  our  way 

Toward  such  glad  and  shining  light 
Must  ever  be  through  duties  done, 

Till  duty  turns  to  sweet  delight. 
Thus  every  daily  task  appears 
Lit  with  the  beam  of  heavenly  spheres." 

The  day  for  their  departure  from  "The  Palms"  came 
all  too  quickly  for  the  happy  party  who  had  spent  such  an 
unspeakably  happy  month  beneath  the  hospitable  shelter  of 
that  truly  magnificent  but  unspeakably  homelike  mansion. 
Onesimus  Templeton  and  Lydia  O'Shannon  being  now  man 
and  wife,  Dr.  Maxwell  and  Mrs.  Finchley  being  needed  at 
their  home,  and  Zenophon  on  the  high  road  to  success  and 
usefulness  as  an  assistant  to  the  good  doctor,  there  was  no 
valid  reason  for  their  longer  sojourn  in  Paris.  So  the 
Montmartes,  who  ever  put  duty  before  pleasure,  until  duty 
became  at  length  pure  delight,  with  many  affectionate  and 
heartfelt  adieux  speeded  the  parting  as  they  had  welcomed 


2  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

the  arriving  guests.  It  was  a  lovely  summer  morning — 
though  autumn  was  fast  approaching — when,  having  taken 
refreshment  at  an  unusually  early  hour,  they  rode  to  the  Gare 
du  Nord  to  take  the  train  which  connects  at  Calais  for  the 
steamer  to  Dover.  Wishing  to  see  something  of  England, 
and  having  a  few  days  to  spare,  they  resolved  on  visiting 
London  and  then  returning  to  America  on  board  one  of  the 
magnificent  Lloyd  steamers  which  receives  passengers  at 
Southampton.  Arriving  at  Dover  on  a  Saturday  afternoon 
they  at  once  took  an  express  to  London  and  reached  there 
about  6  P.  M.,  in  ample  time  to  refresh  themselves  with  a  good 
dinner  at  the  Hotel  Metropole,  and  then  attend  the  promenade 
concert  at  Covent  Garden  Opera  House.  These  concerts — 
which  are  given  nightly  on  a  superb  scale  during  the  off 
season,  when,  according  to  "upper  tendom,"  there  is  "not  a 
soul  in  town" — present  to  the  great  public,  consisting  of  be- 
tween four  and  five  millions  of  bodies  who  cannot  get  out  of 
town,  a  most  exquisite  and  varied  programme  of  the  choicest 
vocal  and  instrumental  music  for  1  shilling  (25  cents).  There 
are  higher-priced  seats  for  such  as  desire  to  occupy  them,  but 
the  general  admission  is  only  1  shilling  to  floor  and  upper 
circle,  and  frequently  from  three  to  five  thousand  persons — 
sometimes  even  a  larger  number — will  be  present  on  a  single 
evening.  The  beautiful  Floral  Hall,  which  joins  the  opera 
house  proper,  is  opened  and  beautifully  illuminated  with  fairy 
lamps  and  incandescent  electric  lights,  making  the  whole 
scene  a  fairy  paradise. 

The  concerts  begin  soon  after  8,  and  seldom  conclude 
much  before  midnight.  The  programme  is  so  arranged  that 
people  go  in  and  out  all  through  the  performance  and  prom- 
enade constantly  without  causing  the  slightest  interruption, 
except  when  some  fine  soloist  is  performing.  Then  a  com- 
plete hush  falls  over  the  vast  throng;  promenaders  gather 
round  the  band  stand,  and  when  the  solo  ends,  a  burst  of  ap- 
plause rises  almost  sufficient  to  shake  the  building,  massive 
though  it  be. 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  3 

Our  party,  arriving  about  8:45,  found  themselves  imme- 
diately in  the  midst  of  a  scene  fully  as  gay  and  inspiring  as 
any  they  had  witnessed  in  Paris.  The  red  coats  of  the  Life 
Guardsmen  contrasting  brilliantly  with  the  dark  attire  of  civ- 
ilians, coupled  with  the  numberless  hues  of  the  ladies'  dresses, 
cloaks  and  bonnets,  made  a  grand  scene  of  beauty  and  vari- 
ety hard  to  match  in  any  miscellaneous  crowd.  The  large 
orchestra  in  scarlet  uniforms,  sitting  in  an  embowered  en- 
closure around  which  tropical  plants  blossomed  in  all  their 
native  luxuriance,  made  the  raised  stand  a  pleasing  cynosure 
of  all  eyes;  while  standing  in  front  of  the  musicians  (most  of 
them  singularly  fine  and  handsome  men)  stood  a  petite  girlish 
figure  dressed  in  snowy  muslin,  the  very  beau  ideal  of  an 
artist's  dream  of  innocent  grace  and  loveliness.  This  charm- 
ing young  songstress  was  none  other  than  the  seraphic 
Signorina  Lavinia  Maria  Ferranita,  who  for  one  season  only 
delighted  the  British  public  with  a  voice  and  style  of  unex- 
ampled purity  and  sweetness,  and  then  passed  out  of  the  mu- 
sical sky  like  a  comet  whose  destination  is  beyond  the  orbit 
of  human  vision. 

This  delightful  young  cantatrice  was  warbling  in  the 
purest  Italian  that  gem  from  "Faust,"  Le  Parlate  tfAmor, 
so  deservedly  a  favorite  selection  all  over  the  world.  On  her 
lips  every  syllable  was  a  pearl.  Her  delicate  throat  and 
bosom  heaved  with  deep  natural  emotion  as  she  sang  the 
touching  words  in  the  beautiful  tongue  of  her  lovely  native 
land.  When  she  finished  singing,  the  house,  breathless  while 
she  sang,  literally  rose  to  its  feet  and  pelted  her  with  flowers. 
Compelled  to  respond  to  a  deafening  encore,  she  rendered  in 
pure  English,  rendered  all  the  more  attractive  by  reason  of 
her  piquante  Italian  accent*  Karl  Ambruster's  majestic  yet 
pathetic  ballad,  "The  Silver  Shield."  As  she  came  to  the 
words 

"If  we  but  knew 
What  hearts  are  false,  what  hearts  are  true," 

the   vibratory  quality  of  her  rich,  penetrating  tones  pierced  to 


4  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

the  very  roof  of  the  building  and  rang  out  into  the  corridors, 
as  though  some  angelic  soul,  awhile  embodied  on  earth,  were 
petitioning  heaven  to  endow  a  blind,  often  misguided  race, 
with  such  penetration  as  would  enable  truth,  here  and  now,  to 
triumph^once  for  all  over  dethroned  and  vanquished  error, 
falsehood  and  wrong.  Every  one  was  moved  (many  to  tears), 
and  the  recall  which  followed  came  unmistakably  from  the 
hearts'  depths  of  the  vast  concourse  of  men  and  women,  most 
if  not  all  of  whom  doubtless  felt  somewhere  in  their  inner  na- 
tures an  intense  longing,  which  no  words  could  voice,  to  know 
absolutely  how  far  they  could  dare  to  trust  some  one  to  whom 
their  affections  went  out,  but  of  whose  sincerity  they  were  at 
times,  at  least,  painfully  in  doubt. 

The  sweet,  modest  figure  returned  and  bowed  grace- 
fully, as  Italia's  daughters  only  can  bow;  but,  after  this  rec- 
ognition of  the  plaudits  of  the  multitude,  no  amount  of  noise 
and  clamor  could  bring  the  lovely  Signorina  again  before  the 
audience.  When  asked  in  private  why  she  never  responded 
to  more  than  one  encore,  she  answered:  "Singing  does  not 
fatigue  me  more  than  it  does  the  birds  who  sing  nearly  all  day. 
But  the  programme  is  long.  There  are  a  number  of  my 
fellow-artists  to  appear,  and  I  have  no  right  to  take  their 
time  so  that  when  they  come  on  the  audience  will  be  tired 
and  about  to  leave."  This  true,  womanly  sentiment  of  regard 
for  others  marked  all  her  conduct.  No  one  could  accuse 
her  of  the  slightest  tinge  of  jealousy.  She  gloried  in  the 
triumphs  of  others,  and  was  pained  at  their  defeat. 

One  evening,  when  a  timid  little  English  girl  had  been 
treated  coldly  by  a  supercilious  mob,  and  had  retired  sobbing 
to  her  dressing-room,  almost  heart-broken  at  the  rude  repulse 
and  overwhelmed  with  grief  at  the  manager's  refusal  to  re- 
engage her  (she  was  a  true  and  conscientious  artist,  had  an 
aged  mother  and  crippled  sister  to  support,  and  no  other 
means  of  livelihood),  Signorina  Ferranita,  who  had  made  a 
success  that  night  enough  to  turn  the  heads  of  all  the  maidens 


OtfESIMUS  TEMPLETON*  5 

in  the  United  Kingdom,  threw  herself  at  the  manager's  feet 
with  a  passionate  outburst  of  woe,  crying,  "Oh,  you  cruel 
man!  If  you  send  away  Miss  Carrol  you  will  break  my 
heart."  Then,  addressing  the  wounded  song-bird  in  her 
most  caressing  accents,  said,  "Darling,  you  and  I  shall 
triumph  together  before  the  end  of  this  evening's  concert.  I 
am  down  to  sing  again,  and  when  they  call  me  back  you  and 
I  will  respond  together  and  sing  that  lovely  duet,  "Maying," 
by  Gounod,  which  we  practiced  for  Lady  Ambleside's  soiree 
at  her  house  last  week.  "Oh,  I  could  never  face  those  people 
again!  They  are  too  dreadful,"  wailed  poor  little  Miss 
Carrol.  "But  with  me,  whom  they  love,  you  will  feel  quite 
safe,"  exclaimed  the  prima  donna.  "Now,  remember,  they 
call  me  lLa  reina  asolutaj  and  absolute  monarchs  insist  on 
their  commands  being  obeyed.  Now,  la  reina  commands  you 
to  sing  with  her  to-night,  and  she  will  not  be  disobeyed." 

When  the  fair  young  Italian  next  appeared  on  the  stage, 
the  house  which  had  frozen  Miss  Carrol  greeted  its  bright 
particular  star  with  such  thunders  of  enthusiasm  that  the  ac- 
companist had  to  stop  and  the  fair  debutante  to  bow  repeat- 
edly before  she  was  allowed  to  proceed.  Her  selection  was  a 
long  and  very  difficult  selection  from  Traviata,  in  which  she 
struck  high  C  thrice.  This  feat  capped  the  climax  of  all 
former  efforts.  The  audience  became  frantic  with  delight, 
and  when,  after  an  absence  of  at  least  three  minutes,  she  re- 
turned, leading  Miss  Carrol  by  the  hand,  and  the  pianist 
sounded  the  prelude  to  the  forthcoming  duet,  a  perfect  shout 
went  up  from  the  vast  assembly.  In  the  very  height  of  her 
triumph,  tears  raining  down  her  cheeks,  she  publicly  em- 
braced her  young  friend  (older  by  two  years  than  herself), 
and  as  their  voices  rose  and  fell  together  the  rich  soprano  of 
the  one  and  deep  contralto  of  the  other  blended  so  harmoni- 
ously as  to  move  to  penitence  and  contrition  the  very  cruelest 
of  the  brutes  who  had  hissed  when  an  hour  earlier  a  few 
good-natured  people  had  tried  to  get  up  an  encore  to  encour- 
age the  shrinking  little  Englishwoman. 


6  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETQN. 

In  Miss  Carrol's  interest  Signorina  Ferranita  gladly 
waived  her  ordinarily  inflexible  rule  never  to  return  and  sing 
twice  after  any  selection,  and  tripped  back  joyfully  with 
her  arm  around  Miss  Carrol's  waist,  and  as  nothing  else 
in  the  way  of  a  duet  had  been  rehearsed  between 
them,  they  gave  Glover's  grand  old  composition,  '-What 
Are  the  Wild  Waves  Saying?"  in  a  manner  to  win 
for  that  good  old  favorite  a  higher  reputation  than  it 
had  ever  known  before.  Miss  Carrol's  reputation  was  by  this 
time  thoroughly  made.  The  manager,  who  had  just  before 
threatened  her  with,  discourteous  dismissal,  now  craved  her 
pardon  humbly  on  his  knees,  and  to  show  the  sincerity  of  his 
conversion,  there  and  then  doubled  her  salary  and  signed  a 
contract  with  her  for  the  remainder  of  the  season,  which 
Signorina  Ferranita  witnessed  in  due  form. 

Hearing  this  beautiful  and  touching  story  of  the  charm- 
ing songstress  from  an  elderly  gentleman  in  the  Floral  Hall 
during  an  intermission,  Dr.  Maxwell  expressed  an  earnest  de- 
sire to  be  introduced  to  this  truly  noble  and  selfless  girl  who 
cared  more  for  a  stranger's  welfare  than  for  any  honors  lav- 
ished on  herself.  He  at  once  received  the  answer  that  she 
allowed  no  gentlemen  to  be  presented  to  her,  except  through 
Lady  Ambleside,  whose  guest  she  was  and  at  whose  place  in 
Croydon  she  was  then  staying.  Dr.  Maxwell,  being  a  thorough 
gentleman,  respected  her  still  the  more  highly  for  taking  so 
wise  a  precaution  against  the  formation  of  undesirable  ac- 
quaintances, and  frankly  said  to  the  elderly  nobleman  with 
whom  he  was  speaking  (his  companion  was  none  other  than 
Lord  Ambleside,  though  he  was  not  aware  of  it). 

"I  should  not  think  of  pressing  myself  on  any  lady 
whose  true  womanliness  prompts  her  to  thus  protect  herself 
against  intrusions  which  I  have  reason  to  fear  are  not  alto- 
gether unwelcome  to  many  stage  favorites;  however,  as  my 
aunt  and  a  young  married  lady  who  is  with  her  are  both  fully 
as  anxious  as  myself  to  form  Signorina  Ferranita 's  acquaint- 


O3TESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  7 

ance,  she  may,  perhaps,  be  willing  to  allow  the  two  ladies  to 
enjoy  a  moment's  interview.  Do  you  know  any  one  who 
might  be  willing  to  introduce  them?" 

"  I  will  do  so  myself  most  gladly,  and  you  too,  my  dear 
sir.  I  know  before  I  have  exchanged  six  sentences  with  a 
man  on  the  subject  of  a  young  lady  what  sort  of  a  fellow  he 
is.  You,  sir,  are  a  gentleman,  every  inch  of  you.  I  would 
trust  my  daughter  over  the  world  in  your  care,  and  that's  not 
too  much  to  say,  though  I  have  known  you  only  ten  minutes." 

"  I  cannot  sufficiently  express  my  gratitude  for  your  high 
opinion,  but  can  in  all  modesty  assure  you  your  confidence 
will  never  be  misplaced,  if  ever  you  honor  me  with  any  deli- 
cate commission.  But  I  fear  we  shall  not  see  much  of  each 
other,  as  I  and  my  friends  are  returning  to  New  York  on 
Tuesday,  and  when  we  shall  be  next  in  England  I  have  no 
idea.  I  am  a  physician,  and  cannot  easily  leave  my  home 
practice  frequently;  just  now  I  am  returning  from  Paris, 
where  duty  more  than  pleasure  called  me  to  make  a  brief  but 
most  delightful  and  profitable  visit.  Many  people  think 
Paris  holds  few  save  the  ultra-frivolous;  but  it  has  been  my 
good  fortune  to  find  in  that  gay  city  the  best  friends  and 
most  distinguished  scientists  I  have  encountered  anywhere." 

"  I  am  somewhat  acquainted  in  Paris  myself,"  continued 
Lord  Ambleside;  "do  you  know  a  Professor  de  Montmarte,  a 
wonderful  man  with  (if  possible)  a  yet  more  wonderful  daugh- 
ter? They  live  in  a  gorgeous  place  with  an  English  name; 
he  is  the  greatest  electrician  in  Europe,  if  report  speaks  truly. 
They  live  very  quietly,  in  spite  of  all  their  wealth,  and  are 
very  little  known  outside  a  small  circle  of  immediate  friends. 
Madamoiselle  de  Montmarte  has  been  the  sole  instructor  of 
Signorina  Ferranita.  I  have  tried  to  coax  the  young  lady, 
who  bears  the  romantic  name  of  Heloise,  to  visit  England,  but 
she  won't  leave  France  except  for  Italy,  and  her  father  is 
probably  as  obstinate,  though  in  his  younger  days  he  was  a 
great  traveler,  and  has,  I  believe,  spent  some  time  in  Syria." 


8  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

"Why,  we  have  all  come  from  'The  Palms'  this  very 
morning.  We  have  been  the  honored  guests  of  the  Mont- 
martes  for  the  past  few  weeks.  It  is  indeed  a  pleasure  to 
meet  one  who  knows  our  dearest  friends  and  benefactors.  My 
name  is  Maxwell;  you  may  have  heard  the  Professor  speak  of 
me.  I  know  he  talks  about  me  when  my  back  is  turned,  and 
I  cannot  help  it,"  laughed  the  doctor,  merrily,  knowing  how 
flattering  were  Professor  de  Montmarte's  expressions  concern- 
ing him. 

"Are  you  Dr.  Maxwell,  Mrs.  Finchley's  nephew?  Well, 
I  am  delighted  to  meet  you!  Indeed,  I  have  heard  about 
you.  Well,  the  cat's  out  of  the  bag  now;  I'm  Lord  Amble- 
side,  my  wife  is  Signorina  Ferranita's  chaperone.  Come  now, 
call  your  ladies,  and  as  the  concert  is  nearly  over  and  our  car- 
riage is  waiting,  be  presented  to  la  reina,  as  we  all  call  her, 
and  then  come  out  to-morrow  afternoon  to  Croydon  and  dine 
with  us  quietly  en  famille.  We  must  get  acquainted.  How 
sorry  I  am  you  must  leave  London  so  soon!  Can't  you  defer 
your  voyage  a  week?  Croydon  is  very  pleasant  at  this  sea- 
son; we  have  a  big  house  and  hardly  anybody  in  it  till 
November,  and  we  can  accommodate  a  regiment  if  necessary." 

Thanking  the  whole-souled  peer  of  the  realm  for  his  cor- 
dial offer  of  hospitality,  which  he  was  compelled,  though 
regretfully,  to  decline,  Dr.  Maxwell  led  his  new  friend 
to  his  aunt,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Templeton,  and  Zenophon, 
who  were  in  a  group  listening  to  a  fine  Wagnerian 
selection  by  the  band.  After  the  introduction,  which 
in  this  case  was  quite  informal,  Lord  Ambleside,  with 
a  kindly  "delighted  to  meet  you  all,"  conducted  the 
party  of  five  to  his  young  "lioness,"  who  was  just  then 
adjusting  her  cloak  and  hat  in  readiness  for  departure.  Off 
the  stage  she  appeared  small  and  quite  fragile.  People  were 
often  heard  to  remark,  "How  is  it  possible  such  a  little  body 
can  give  out  such  a  volume  of  tone!"  But,  immediately  she 
smiled  and  displayed  delighted  animation  at  meeting  people 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  9 

who  knew  and  loved  the  preceptress  whom  she  almst  idolized, 
Dr.  Maxwell  at  once  detected  the  infallible  signs  of  well  nigh 
perfect  health,  which  are  ever  present  in  a  thoroughly  electri- 
fied organism,  no  matter  how  frail  its  build  may  appear  to  be. 

In  private,  this  latest  idol  of  the  British  concert-going 
public  was  a  simple  but  charming  and  highly  intelligent 
Italian  maiden,  speaking  English  with  a  piquante  foreign  ac- 
cent, which  greatly  heightened  the  charm  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
tongue.  No  one  thus  meeting  her  could  have  connected  her 
in  thought  with  the  distinguished  heroine  of  a  great  opera 
house,  whose  praises  were  sounded  by  all  the  newspapers 
without  an  exception,  Lionized  by  the  public,  caressed  by 
the  nobility,  this  child  of  nineteen  summers  had  lost  nothing 
of  the  gentle,  unassuming  sweetness  which  characterized  her 
every  movement  when  her  voice  led  the  maiden  choir  in  the 
chapel  of  Santa  Cecilia,  attached  to  the  great  cathedral  at 
Milan,  where  first  her  lovely  voice,  then  very  inferior  to  its 
present  excellence,  had  attracted  the  ear  of  Heloise,  who 
was  assisting  at  evening  devotions  one  beautiful  night 
during  the  November  of  the  previous  year. 

Adding  her  petition  to  that  of  Lord  Ambleside,  that 
they  should  all  dine  together  at  5  P.  M.  the  following  day, 
the  charming  cantatrice  waved  her  hand  in  graceful  adieu 
as  she  entered  the  carriage  bound  for  Croydon,  while  Dr. 
Maxwell  and  his  party  returned  on  foot  to  the  Metropole, 
where  they  had  engaged  delightful  rooms  at  a  very  rea- 
sonable figure,  and  meals  on  the  wise  European  plan  of 
paying  for  what  you  eat  when  you  eat  it,  instead  of  fol- 
lowing the  American  practice  of  paying  a  fixed  rate  for 
board,  as  well  as  room,  which  usually  means  paying  for 
five  meals  a  day  if  you  eat  three,  as  three  are  charged  for 
at  the  hotel  anyway,  and  you  generally  eat  one  there  and 
two  in  other  parts  of  the  city,  or  its  environs. 

London  grows  instantly  quiet  on  Saturday  night  di- 
rectly the  bell  on  St.  Paul's  tolls  the  hour  of  12.  As  though 


10  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

by  magic  the  previous  noise  and  bustle  ends,  and  Sabbath 
quietude  commences  its  not  unwelcome  reign  over  the  weary 
city  and  its  teeming  populace.  Of  course,  one  hears  the 
rumble  of  carriage  wheels  in  the  streets  more  or  less  all 
night,  if  one  is  awake  to  hear  it,  but  by  comparison  with 
other  times,  Saturday  night  ushers  in  an  era  of  unbroken 
calm,  though  excursion  trains  and  an  enlarged  omnibus  and 
tram-car  service  are  making  constant  inroads  upon  the  time- 
honored  custom  of  resting  practically,  as  well  as  in  theory, 
one  day  out  of  every  seven. 

A  good  English  hotel,  with  a  French  name,  is  apt  to  be 
very  comfortable,  and  none  we  know  of  is  more  so  than  the 
Metropole,  which  is  very  conveniently  and  centrally  situated 
near  to  the  proverbial  "everything" — a  word  which  bunches 
together  churches,  theatres,  concert  halls,  shops,  railway  sta- 
tions, etc.,  ad  libitum,  in  one  comprehensive  word  elastic 
enough  to  be  both  a  noun  and  an  adverb,  to  suit  existing 
circumstances. 

Rising  about  9  A.  M.  on  Sunday,  our  friends  assembled 
for  breakfast  a  little  before  10,  and  over  their  coffee  discussed 
their  church  plan  for  the  morning.  Perusing  a  long  list  of 
services  printed  in  the  journals  of  the  day  previous,  Dr. 
Maxwell  and  Mr.  Templeton  were  struck  by  the  announce- 
ment of  a  familiar  name,  as  their  eyes  rested  on  the  order  of 
services  at  Clarendon  Square  Chapel  (Free  Church),  "Martin- 
dale  Fischer-Bennett  will  preach  at  11  A.  M.  on  'Babylon  and 
its  Downfall  in  the  Present  Era.'  Strangers  cordially 
invited." 

"Let  us  go  and  hear  him  by  all  means,"  said  the  doctor; 
"why,  he  must  be  the  very  radical  son  of  the  very  conserva- 
tive father,  who  was  your  father's  successor  and  your  prede- 
cessor at  Saddlerock,  Onesimus — but  what  say  the  ladies?" 

"Oh,  let's  go,  certainly,"  assented  Mrs.  Finchley  and 
Mrs.  Templeton,  in  a  breath. 


CHAPTER  II. 


WHAT  IS  THE  MODERN  BABYLON? 

"How  long,  O  Lord  shall  waiting  souls 

Wait  on  to  see  the  promised  day? 
How  long  shall  thine  own  image  grieve 

While  pent  within  these  walls  of  clay? 
O  hasten,  Lord,  the  glorious  hour 

That  bids  all  doubt  and  error  flee 
Revealing  truth  in  all  its  might 

And  drawing  man  more  close  to  Thee." 

Zenophon,  who  greatly  preferred  a  Catholic  service,  was 
"dropped"  at  the  door  of  a  large  Catholic  church  near  by, 
where  the  worshipers  were  assembling  for  high  mass,  as  the 
others  made  their  way  to  the  inviting,  but  unpretending, 
chapel,  where  Mr.  (not  the  Rev.)  Fischer-Bennett  officiated. 
It  not  being  the  full  season,  the  chapel  was  considerably  less 
than  full  when  the  four  new-comers  entered,  and  were  con- 
ducted to  a  gallery  pew  exactlv  facing  the  pulpit,  the  regular 
occupants  of  which  were  then  at  Brighton.  Arriving  five 
minutes  before  11,  they  had  ample  time  to  observe  the  build- 
ing and  its  appointments  before  the  service  opened,  and 
though  nothing  of  an  imposing  character  met  their  gaze,  they 
were  all  struck  with  the  exceedingly  neat  simplicity  of  the 
whole.  The  chapel  was  evidently  not  a  new  building;  it  had 
probably  never  been  remodeled  to  any  great  extent  since  its 
erection,  as  far  as  architectural  design;  but  the  fine  organ, 
which  faced  the  congregation  and  reached  from  the  floor  al- 
most to  the  ceiling  between  the  galleries  and  behind  the  pul- 
pit, as  well  as  the  handsome  open  pews  of  polished  oak,  fitted 

ii 


12  ONJESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

with  blue  cushions,  were  recent  additions  or  improvements. 
The  walls  were  tinted  a  pale  blue;  the  old-fashioned  square 
windows  were  scrupulously  clean,  those  on  the  south  side  (the 
chapel  fronted  west)  were  screened  with  blue  shades,  those  on 
the  north  side  were  open,  admitting  plenty  of  fresh,  cool  air, 
but  not  creating  a  draught.  As  soon  as  these  details  had 
been  digested  and  another  hundred  people  or  so  had  gathered 
on  the  ground  floor,  and  about  fifty  more  in  the  three  galler- 
ies, swelling  the  entire  congregation  to  a  total  af  about  350 
(the  chapel  could  seat  1,000,  if  necessary),  the  organ  pealed 
forth  a  grand  voluntary,  as  exactly  on  the  stroke  of  11  the 
minister  ascended  the  staircase  of  the  handsome,  rather  high, 
walnut  wood  pulpit,  which  exactly  faced  the  gallery,  in  the 
front  of  which  our  friends  were  sitting. 

Mr.  Martindale  Fischer-Bennett  (who  always  signed  his 
full  name)  was  a  young  man  about  30,  with  an  earnest  coun- 
tenance, fresh  complexion,  clear  blue  eyes  and  chestnut  hair. 
Decision  marked  his  every  motion,  though  his  views  on  many 
topics  were  regarded  as  altogether  too  indefinite  by  many  who 
had  attended  the  chapel  during  the  pastorate  of  the  much 
more  orthodox  Rev.  Hiram  Oldenwheel,  whom  Mr.  Bennett 
had  succeeded. 

As  the  voluntary  ceased,  the  music  changed  into  an- 
other key,  and  the  choir  sang  in  good  time  and  tune  an  an- 
them from  the  service  book,  which  bore  the  title,  "Common 
Prayer,  revised  for  the  use  of  unsectarian  congregations,  with 
a  preface  by  Martindale  Fischer-Bennett."  This  book  con- 
tained most  of  the  essential  portions  of  the  Church  of  England 
liturgy,  though  much  of  the  phraseology  and  doctrinal  teach- 
ing was  largely  altered,  and  in  the  morning  service  many 
parts  of  the  original  service  were  entirely  omitted.  The 
service  throughout  was  bright  and  impressively  rendered,  the 
music  of  the  "Te  Deum"  and  "Jubilate"  was  really  fine;  the 
hymns  sung  were  from  Dr.  Martineau's  Collection,  though 
Clarendon  Square  Chapel  never  would  allow  itself  to  be 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  13 

called  Unitarian,  despite  the  fact  that  the  Unitarians  as  a  body 
insisted  that  the  difference  in  theology  was  like  a  controversial 
tweedledum  and  tweedledee.  As  may  be  expected  from  the 
subject  announced  Mr.  Bennett's  sermon  was  not  an  ordinary 
one.  As  late-comers  are  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception 
everywhere,  the  audience  reached  470  when  the  text  of  the 
discourse  was  given  out:  "And  a  strong  angel  took  up  a 
stone,  as  it  were  a  great  millstone,  and  cast  it  into  the  sea, 
saying:  Thus  with  a  mighty  fall  shall  Babylon,  the  great  city, 
be  cast  down,  and  shall  be  found  no  more  at  all."  Rev. 
XVIII.  21,  (revised  version.) 

"Probably  all  my  hearers,"  commenced  Mr  Bennett,  "are 
familiar  with  the  oft-reiterated  protests  against  the  iniquities 
of  the  Church  of  Rome  which  many  preachers  base  on  this 
prophecy;  but  with  these  worn  theological  acrimonies  I  wish 
to  have  nothing  to  do  this  morning.  I  consider  Babylon  the 
monopolistic,  competitive  system  now  prevalent  all  over  the 
civilized  world,  and  from  a  strong  text  wrhich  has  long  been 
handled  by  protestant  fire  brands  to  denounce  Roman  Catho- 
lic persecutors  I  shall  aim  to  extract  a  new  and  universal  les- 
son, peculiarly  appropriate  at  present,  as  we  must  all  be  feel- 
ing more  or  less  distinctly  the  convulsive  throes  antedating  a 
social  eruption  which  promises  to  accomplish  more  than  any 
previous  upheaval  recorded  in  history.  I  unhesitatingly  af- 
firm that  unless  a  peaceable  reconstruction  of  the  industrial 
fabric  is  completed  within  the  next  50  years  at  most,  the 
streets  of  our  great  English  cities  will  run  with  blood  and  the 
case  will  not  be  much,  if  any,  better  in  America.  Compro- 
mises and  concessions  cannot  stave  off  the  impending  crisis 
much  longer;  it  will  soon  be  found  impossible  to  bolster  up 
the  decayed  and  antiquated  structure  of  our  present  system, 
which  needs  not  razing  to  the  ground  through  the  ferocious 
attacks  of  anarchy,  but  abandoning,  as  the  masses  betake 
themselves  to  a  new  and  healthy  building  adapted  to  their 
ever  growing  needs.  The  angel  who  will  accomplish  the  de- 


14  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

struction  of  our  modern  Babylon  will  be  the  angel -side  of  our 
really  good  but  terribly  maligned  human  nature,  and  as  this 
angel-element  in  humanity  is  evoked  and  encouraged  to  build 
a  New  Jerusalem  on  earth,  so  will  the  Babylon  of  selfishness 
be  destroyed  by  the  co-operative  industries  of  a  harmoniously 
unselfish  people.  I  am  no  agitator  of  the  alarmist  type;  I 
consider  it  my  sole  mission  to  point  to  righteousness,  and  seek 
to  foster  the  better  and  truer  side  of  those  to  whom  I  can  ap- 
peal; but  not  wishing  to  cry  peace  when  war  is  imminent,  I 
raise  a  cry  from  this  pulpit  from  week  to  week  not  to  induce 
hot-headed  fanatics  to  attack  monopolists,  but  to  urge  intelli- 
gent workingmen  and  women  to  club  together  for  mutual 
work  and  welfare." 

In  the  course  of  his  remarks, — during  which  he  often  be- 
came glowingly  though  not  feverishly  excited, — Mr.  Bennett 
mapped  out  an  entirely  new  order  of  affairs,  which,  though 
utterly  at  variance  with  most  existing  opinions,  he  declared 
would  be  rendered  actual  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  dur- 
ing the  next  half  century.  As  they  were  leaving  the  chapel 
the  comments  they  heard  passed  upon  the  sermon  greatly  in- 
terested our  party.  To  the  majority  of  working  men  of  the 
mildly  radical  type  Mr.  Fischer- Bennett  was  a  hero  whom 
they  wanted  to  get  into  Parliament.  To  the  smaller  trades- 
people, many  of  whom  attended  his  chapel,  he  was  "a  mighty 
fine  gentleman,  but  very  deep  in  bis  harguments."  To  most 
young  men  of  progressive  ideas  he  was  "a  live  preacher,  wide- 
awake; none  of  your  drones,  don't  you  know."  To  the  ortho- 
dox frequenters  of  other  chapels  in  the  neighborhood,  he  was 
"a  stray  sheep — worse,  a  false  shepherd";  while  Mr.  Mule- 
herd,  the  Baptist  preacher  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  square 
called  him  "a  man  of  sin,"  on  a  Sunday  evening,  in  a  sermon 
to  young  men  concerning  the  Devil,  with  whom  he  seemed  on 
very  familiar  terms,  and  to  whom  many  people  ventured  to 
assert  he  showed  a  slight  family  resemblance.  Mr.  Templeton 
was  completely  carried  away  with  Mr.  Bennett's  forcible  de- 


ONESIMUS    TEMPLETON.  15 

livery  and  advanced  sentiments,  and  was  on  the  point  of  pre- 
senting himself  at  the  vestry  door,  when  Mr.  Bennett  himself 
walked  up  to  them  (they  were  standing  just  outside  the  en- 
trance waiting  for  Zenophon  to  join  them),  and  with  a  very 
gracious  bow  and  pleasant  smile,  said: 

"I  see  you  are  strangers  in  this  neighborhood.  Is  there 
anything  I  can  do  for  you,  or  any  place  to  which  I  can  direct 
you?  You,  sir  (addressing  Mr.  Templeton),  are  a  minister,  I 
see,  by  the  cut  of  your  cloth.  I  hope  our  service  was  not  too 
dreadfully  heretical  in  your  eyes.  The  Congregational  Union 
refuses  fellowship  with  us  entirely,  though  it  has  many  mem- 
bers who  share  my  views  exactly.  And  as  to  the  Methodists 
and  Baptists,  they  think  we  are  too  shocking  to  be  mentioned 
without  a  shudder.  Among  Broad  Church  clergymen  I  have 
several  colleagues  in  general  home  missionary  work.  The 
Unitarians  are  anxious  to  claim  us,  but  I  can't  be  other  than 
unsectarian  myself;  and,  if  a  free  church,  in  the  fullest  sense 
of  the  word,  is  not  an  institution  which  can  live  in  London, 
well,  there  are  other  fields  opening  to  me." 

Your  case  seems  very  much  like  my  own,"  responded  Mr. 
Templeton.  "I  am — as  you  will  probably  know  from  my  ac- 
cent if  not  from  my  appearance — an  American;  and,  if  I  am 
not  mistaken,  you  are  the  son  of  the  Fischer-Bennetts  with 
whom  my  boyhood  days  were  spent  in  Saddlerock,  Vermont." 

"What!  are  you  Onesimus  Templeton,  the  quiet,  studi- 
ous, diligent,  thoroughly  orthodox  and  correct  boy,  of  whom 
my  parents  used  to  write  to  me  so  often?  How  comes  it,  then, 
that  you  also  are  so  much  of  a  heretic?  I  think  it  must  be 
that  we  are  living  in  days  of  new  wine,  when  an  imperative 
necessity  is  felt  for  new  bottles  among  all  thinking  people, 
for  the  old  bottles  are  exploding  so  rapidly  and  disastrously 
under  the  pressure  of  the  fermentation  of  new  wine.  Cannot 
you  come  home  with  me  to  lunch,  all  of  you?  My  sister,  who 
keeps  house  for  me,  is  at  Brighton,  with  the  hirers  of  the  pew 
you  occupied  this  morning.  Being  quite  alone  for  the  next, 


16  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

as  I  have  been  for  the  past  three  weeks,  I  have  taken  up  my 
abode  at  the  Metropole,  where  the  cuisine  is  excellent." 

"The  very  place  we  are  stopping  at!"  exclaimed  Dr.  Max- 
well. "Oh!  here  is  Zenophon,  just  from  mass  at  St.  Gabriel's. 
We  will  now  all  go  together  and  refresh  the  inner  and  outer 
man  at  our  inn  with  good  food,  and,  I  hope,  still  better  conversa- 
tion, Let's  have  dinner  together  in  our  private  sitting  room; 
and,  as  you  are  only  one  and  we  are  five,  you  cannot  refuse 
to  be  our  guest." 

"In  these  circumstances,"  genially  assented  Mr.Bennett, 
"as  I  see  you  desire  it,  I  will  accept  your  offer  to-day  with  the 
distinct  understanding  that  I  can  reciprocate  to-morrow." 

"Well,  we  have  so  much  to  discuss  between  us  all,  I  dare 
say,"  broke  in  Mr.  Templeton,  "we  can  well  afford  to  waive 
matters  of  ceremony  and  proceed  at  once  to  the  subjects  of 
greatest  interest  to  us  all  alike." 

"Before  we  talk  about  anything,  I  insist  on  ordering 
lunch,"  persisted  Dr.  Maxwell,  when  they  had  reached  the  hotel. 
"Now,  aunt,  you  do  the  honors  of  the  table,  just  as  when  we 
are  at  home.  Here  is  the  menu.  Make  your  own  selections, 
and  I  will  tell  the  waiter  we  want  luncheon  at  once." 


CHAPTER  III. 

"HOME    SWEET    HOME." 

"Oh,  call  it  not  a  foolish  dream, 
That  aspiration  of  my  heart, 
Which  leads  me  to  diviner  things 
And  bids  me  try  a  higher  art. 
Say,  are  there  not  deep  meanings  yet 
To  be  discovered  in  God's  law? 
And  who  shall  dare  to  claim  that  he 
The  whole  at  any  time  can  draw? 
Truth  is  my  solace  and  my  goal, 
And  will  be  while  the  ages  roll." 

Luncheon  always  proves  a  very  pleasant  meal  when  par- 
taken of  in  good  company,  and  on  Sundays  in  England,  where 
it  is  customary  to  dine  early  on  that  day,  the  midday  meal  is 
usually  a  very  pleasant  time  for  meeting  friends  and  enjoying 
the  pleasures  of  hospitality.  Half  past  three  or  four  p.  m.  is 
a  fashionable  time  for  attending  a  second  church  service, 
though  many  people  spend  the  afternoon  quietly  at  home  and 
go  to  evening  service  at  7.  Mr.  Fischer-Bennett's  chapel  was 
closed  in  the  afternoon,  though  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
year  the  Sunday-school  met  in  the  school-room  from  2.30  till 
4,  but  this  did  not  resume  its  sessions  till  the  month  follow- 
ing, so  his  time  was  quite  his  own  till  the  hour  arrived  for 
evening  service. 

As  they  rose  from  the  table,  and  all  who  were  going  to 
Croydon  began  to  make  preparations  to  catch  the  3.45  train, 
Mr.  Bennett  proposed  escorting  them  to  Victoria  station,  if 
they  felt  they  had  time  to  walk. 

Cabs  are  cheap  in  London,  which  is  one  of  the  most  con- 
venient features  of  the  city;  you  can  at  any  time  hire  a  com- 


18  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

fortable  conveyance  for  two  persons  and  ride  a  long  distance 
for  one  shilling;  if  the  distance  is  beyond  the  shilling  limit, 
the  fare  is  one  shilling  and  six  pence,  or  thirty-seven  and  a 
half  cents  American  money,  and  that  sum  will  almost  invaria- 
bly carry  any  two  persons  to  any  terminus  or  place  of  public 
resort,  if  their  quarters  in  town  are  in  any  way  central.  Not- 
withstanding this  fact,  and  the  innumerable  omnibuses,  and 
great  facilities  offered  by  the  underground  railways,  pedes- 
trianism  is  quite  a  feature  of  London  life,  and  to  this  fact 
alone  the  uniformly  superior  health  of  the  population  may  be 
safely  attributed. 

Mr.  Fischer-Bennett  was  a  very  practical  religionist.  He 
attached  sufficient,  but  not  extravagant,  importance  to  relig- 
ious exercises.  His  chief  desire,  however,  was  to  help  people 
to  live  more  nearly  to  nature,  and  thus  develop  a  healthy  and 
hardy  manhood  and  womanhood,  without  which  he  declared 
pietism  degenerated  into  sickly  sentiment,  which  instead  of 
ennobling,  enfeebled  character. 

Mr.  Templeton  was  greatly  pleased  with  Mr.  Bennett's 
frank  convictions  and  vital  interest  in  every  leading  question 
of  the  day;  but  when  more  spiritual  themes  were  broached, 
Dr.  Maxwell  felt  inclined  to  chide  him  gently  for  displaying 
so  much  incredulity. 

As  they  walked  through  the  delightful  district  which  lies 
between  the  Hotel  Metropole  and  the  Victoria  Terminus,  they 
conversed  upon  the  marvelous  phenomena  of  Spiritualism  and 
the  singular  tenents  of  Theosophy,  in  which  Mr.  Bennett  dis- 
played a  certain  intellectual  interest,  as  becomes  a  student 
and  a  scholar,  but  it  was  clear  to  see  that  his  affectional 
nature  was  not  at  all  touched  by  the  sentimental  side  of  Spirit 
ualism,  nor  was  his  intellect  enamored  of  the  mysteries  of 
Hindu  occultism.  He  was  a  man  fitted  to  lead  in  all  social 
questions,  but  his  spiritual  insight  was  not  particularly 
keen.  As  the  conversation  glided  from  one  topic  to  another, 
Mr.  Voysey's  utterances  on  Spiritualism  became  for  a  few 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  19 

moments  the  subject  of  discussion,  Dr.  Maxwell  thought 
them  shallow  and  unworthy  of  a  man  in  any  sense  great.  Mr. 
Bennett  considered  Mr.  Voysey's  position  quite  tenable,  and 
failed  to  see  how  M.  A.  Oxon,  and  other  distinguished  Spirit- 
ualists who  had  replied  in  "Light"  had  met  the  case. 

"Still,"  said  Mr.  Bennet,  "I  am  not  a  scoffer,  all  I  want  is 
truth;  and,  if  any  of  you  who  believe  more  than  I  at  present 
can,  are  able  to  convince  my  understanding,  I  shall  only  be 
too  happy  to  listen  to  all  you  have  to  say  and  to  carefully  ob- 
serve all  you  have  to  present  to  my  senses  and  my  reason. 

"As  to  your  experiences  in  Paris,  I  can  say  nothing. 
Such  things  are  quite  beyond  my  ken,  and  while  they  may  be 
true,  pardon  me  for  suggesting  they  may  not  be  true;  but  if, 
as  you  say,  Professor  de  Montmarte  and  his  daughter  are  to 
be  reckoned  among  the  most  exemplary  people  you  have  ever 
met,  I  can  scarcely  let  incredulity  swing  over  to  the  extreme  of 
credulity,  and  believe  evil  of  others  without  the  slightest 
foundation.  The  cures  you  report  to  me  are  the  most  wonder- 
ful of  all.  We  hear  of  nothing  like  them  in  London.  There 
are,  indeed,  many  alleged  cases  of  healing  by  mesmeric  and 
magnetic  means,  but  they  are  mostly  of  a  dubious  character; 
and,  by  the  way,  I  was  introduced  to  a  lady,  recently  from 
Chicago,  the  other  day,  a  Miss  Dominus,  a  particularly  intelli- 
gent woman,  with  a  frank,  serious  face  and  great  command  of 
excellent  language.  She  is  the  guest  of  Lady  Steepleheight, 
and  is  teaching  what  she  calls  Christian  Science.  I  shall 
avail  myself  of  the  first  opportunity  to  listen  to  some  of  her 
instructions.  I  am  convinced  she  is  honest,  and  that  is  saying 
a  great  deal  now-a-days,  when  we  meet  so  many  charlatans 
who  are  making  money  and  position  everything,  and  shame- 
lessly sacrificing  principle  in  every  conceivable  manner  to 
exalt  their  personal  caprices.  Miss  Dominus  teaches  gratui- 
tously, which  is  remarkable,  and,  unless  she  had  some  private 
means,  would,  I  should  think,  be  impossible.  And,  by  the 
way,  there  is  a  Mrs.  Catsleigh  here;  she  arrived  only  y ester- 


20  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

day  from  New  York — a  decidedly  stagy  woman,  traveling 
with  a  fellow  who  must  have  been  at  some  time  a  theatrical 
agent,  where  bounce  goes  further  than  breeding.  Monsieur 
Alphonse  de  Kabriet  influenced  me  against  the  whole  affair 
He  was  so  persistent  that  I  should  spend  five  pounds  for  a 
ticket  admitting  to  one  course  of  twelve  lessons,  that  I  plainly 
told  him  such  prices  would  not  succeed  in  England,  upon 
which  he  rudely  asked  me  if  I  thought  people  could  live  on 
air,  and  whether  preachers  weren't  paid  higher  than  anybody 
else.  I  refused  to  parley  with  him,  and  decidedly  declined 
the  ticket.  He  left  me,  muttering,  'stingy  cuss,'  and  that  was 
the  last  I  saw  of  him.  His  diamonds  were  blinding,  and  Mrs. 
Catsleigh  at  dinner  looked  like  a  second-rate  star  in  the  role 
*Camille' — a  woman  too  stout  to  look  the  part,  but  determined 
to  act  it,  nevertheless.  Her  manners  are  very  taking,  and  she 
is  a  fluent  talker,  but  the  box-office  air  about  both  of  them 
(the  agent  in  particular)  repulsed  not  only  me,  but  several 
whom  they  have  been  trying  to  bring  into  their  classes.  They 
are  staying  at  the  Owlshead  Hotel,  three  streets  from  the 
Metro  pole. 

As  time  was  passing  rapidly  and  nearing  train  time,  their 
conversation  was  abruptly  terminated  at  the  station  gates. 

The  party  for  Croydon  had  just  time  to  secure  tickets  and 
seat  themselves  in  a  comfortable  comp'artment  before  the  train 
started.  A  few  miles  delightful  riding  brought  them  to  Croy- 
don, where  they  found  everything  in  readiness  for  their  wel- 
come reception,  Lord  and  Lady  Ambleside  being  delighted  to 
receive  and  entertain  them.  Lord  Ambleside  has  already 
been  introduced  to  our  readers.  His  wife  impressed  all  who 
met  her  in  a  friendly  manner,  as  a  woman  of  unusual  intellect, 
self-reliance  and  strength  of  character — a  trifle  masculine, 
perhaps,  but,  for  all  that,  possessed  of  a  sweet,  womanly  tend- 
erness of  feeling.  She  could  rule  with  a  hand  of  iron,  and 
quell  insubordination  with  a  glance  or  gesture.  Still,  she 
was  loved  by  more  than  feared  her,  as  her  genuine  disinter- 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  21 

ested,  intelligent  regard  for  others'  welfare  stamped  her  as  a 
noble  and  true  benefactress  to  all  who  sincerely  sought  coun- 
sel to  aid  them  to  a  higher  life.  The  lovely  Signorina  Ferra- 
nita  almost  idolized  her;  being  an  orphan  she  could  not  meas- 
ure the  depth  of  her  affection  for  the  stately  lady,  who  had 
taken  her  to  her  capacious  heart  and  home,  and  was  now 
beginning  to  cherish  the  hope,  in  which  her  husband  fully 
coincided,  that  the  gifted  damsel  might  prove  to  her  a  daugh- 
ter indeed,  by  soon  becoming  the  wife  of  their  only  son, 
Lord  Currisbrook  Clive,  provided  she  could  overcome  her 
first  scruple  against  marrying  an  Englishman  and  a  Protes- 
tant. 

Sunday  dinner  at  the  "Darning  Needles,"  as  the  Amble- 
side's  Croydon  house  was  named,  was  a  delightful  six-o'clock 
affair,  sans  ceremonie;  it  was  over  before  7,  just  in  time  to 
allow  of  the  fair  cantatrice  attending  vespers  at  the  beautiful 
church  of  St.  Dominic,  which  is  one  of  the  features  of  Croy- 
don architecture,  and  renowned  everywhere  for  its  splendid 
music.  Whilst  she  was  absent,  the  conversation  was  very 
mnch  about  her — her  past  and  her  future.  She  was  an  in- 
tensely romantic  girl,  but  so  conscientious  and  high-princi- 
pled that  the  faintest  shade  of  prevarication  in  another  dis- 
gusted her.  Kind  and  generous  to  the  utmost  extreme  as  she 
had  proved  in  the  case  of  Miss  Carroll,  and  in  numberless 
other  instances,  she  was  high-spirited,  though  very  gentle,  and 
so  enthusiastic  a  devotee  of  art  that  her  profession  was  to  her 
as  sacred  as  ever  his  calling  can  be  to  the  most  devoted 
preacher  of  the  gospel. 

About  8  o'clock,  while  they  were  chatting  together  in  the 
peaceful  twilight,  a  servant  announced  a  visitor.  In  the  fad- 
ing light  they  did  not  clearly  see  who  was  approaching,  but, 
on  distinctly  hearing  the  rattle  (we  cannot  correctly  say  rus- 
tle) of  stiff  brocaded  silk  skirts,  Lord  and  Lady  Ambleside 
knew  they  were  once  more  favored  with  the  never-unwelcome 
presence  of  their  elderly  American  friend,  Mrs.  Fumbling 


22  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

Cockroach  (pronounced  Koroche  for  twenty-seven  genera- 
tions.) 

The  little  lady  who  had  been  on  the  steamer  with  Dr, 
Maxwell  and  his  party,  (no  one  except  the  stewardess  had 
really  seen  her  except  at  the  landing  stages  at  New  York  and 
Liverpool)  was  at  least  75,  and  looked  every  day  of  her  age. 
Still,  she  was  an  active  little  body,  kept  fashionable  hours, 
wore  a  dark  brown  wig,  dressed  in  almost  juvenile  costume, 
and  wished  every  one  to  know  she  was  as  much  in  the  world 
as  any  matron  of  40,  with  marriageable  daughters.  Spiritual- 
ism was  Mrs.  Cockroach's  pet  hobby — you  could  not  call  it 
her  religion,  for  she  took  it  more  as  a  pastime  than  seriously, 
and  enjoyed  nothing  more  than  an  innocent  joke  or  a  harm- 
less bit  of  gossip  with  some  familiar  sprite  who  entertained 
her  at  the  strictly  private  seances  in  the  residences  of  the  no- 
bility, which  she  was  often  invited  to  visit,  being  a  very  popu- 
lar old  dame  in  many  quarters. 

"My  darling  Lordship  and  Ladyship,  how  glad  I  am  to 
find  you  in !  I  was  afraid  you  might  be  at  church,  though  I 
never  go  in  the  evening.  As  usual,  I  have  come  for  a  cup  of 
your  most  delicious  Formosa  tea,  some  of  your  unequalled 
bread  and  butter,  and  a  talk  with  our  dear  spirit-friends,  who 
never  seem  so  near  me  as  in  your  presence.  But  I  see  you 
have  company.  Any  one  I  know?" 

"Some  of  your  fellow-passengers  from  America,  I  believe. 
Let  me  introduce  Dr.  Maxwell,  Mrs.  Finchley,  (his  aunt)  and 
the  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Onesimus  Templeton"  responded  Lady 
Ambleside. 

The  new  addition  to  the  group  caused  the  conversation 
to  flow  in  a  more  lively  strain  than  before;  and  to  those  un- 
acquainted with  the  ins  and  outs  of  English  high  life  Mrs. 
Cockroach's  narrative  must  have  been  indeed  instructive,  as 
well  as  amusing.  But  as  soon  as  tea  and  muffins  had  been 
disposed  of,  nothing  would  do  but  they  must  hold  a  seance 
with  Mrs  Finchley  as  the  medium. 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  23 

Signorina  Ferranita  was  a  wonderfully  gifted  clairvoyant, 
and  often  in  private  made  wonderful  revelations  to  her  inti- 
mate friends;  but  she  objected  to  the  kind  of  Spiritualism  in 
which  Mrs.  Cockroach  reveled.  Therefore,  when  that  lady  was 
in  the  house,  she  often  retired  to  her  own  appartment  while  a 
seance  was  in  progress.  Mrs.  Finchley,  being  such  a  very 
different  type  of  woman,  and  the  girl  having  taken  a  great 
liking  to  her  at  Covent  Garden  the  evening  before,  the  servant 
was  told  to  invite  her  into  the  drawing-room  as  soon  as  she 
returned  from  church  and  had  removed  her  walking  apparel. 
Zenophon  had  accompanied  her  at  her  request  to  St.  Dominic's, 
greatly  to  his  own  happiness,  as  he  was  of  a  nature  to  almost 
worship  artistic  genius,  wherever  it  might  be  discovered,  and 
the  fair  singer  was  one  who  never  held  herself  aloof  from 
others  unless  she  saw  or  felt  some  good  reason  for  so  doing. 
With  a  lad  as  truthful  and  pure-minded  as  the  little  Greek, 
she  was  thorougly  at  home  in  a  single  instant. 

They  talked  together  of  their  singular  experiences  on  the 
way  to  church  and  back,  and  found  nothing  in  each  other's 
startling  career  to  occasion  surprise  in  the  other.  At  Bene- 
diction the  beautiful  singer  reminded  Zenophon  so  strikingly 
of  Heloise,  as  he  knelt  beside  her,  that  he  was  convinced 
something  more  than  fancy  caused  him  to  see  his  beloved 
Parisian  friend  and  hear  her  voice  joining  in  "Tantum  ergo." 

Returning  to  the  "Darning  Needles"  about  9  o'clock, 
they  found  Mrs.  Finchley  speaking  with  rare  eloquence  and 
feeling  to  all  in  the  room;  and  as  they  listened  to  her  in- 
spired words,  they  felt  a  communion  of  souls  such  as  they  had 
rarely  felt  before.  Though  usually  very  shy  of  mentioning 
her  own  affairs  to  any  one — particularly  to  a  stranger — and 
never  seeking  to  consult  clairvoyants  on  matters  where  her 
own  affection  and  reason  must,  in  the  very  nature  of  things,  be 
the  only  proper  judges,  she  felt  constrained,  as  soon  as  there 
was  a  pause  in  Mrs.  Finchlay's  eloquence,  to  inquire,  "Do 
you  see  anything  in  store  for  me  outside  of  my  musical  ca- 


24  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

reer,  in  which  I  take  so  much  pleasure,  and  which  I  never 
wish  to  relinquish?" 

"Your  true  position  is  in  this  house,"  answered  the  good 
lady  impressively.  "And,  as  you  question  as  to  your  future, 
I  answer  unhesitatingly,  you  would  not  do  well  to  refuse  the 
offer  of  a  hand  which  is  accompanied  by  one  of  the  truest 
hearts  in  England.  As  Lady  Olive  you  can  still  use  your 
musical  gift  for  the  highest  ends,  but  a  public  operatic  career 
is  not  your  destiny  for  longer  than  one  year  at  most.  I  know 
your  religious  feelings  as  well  as  I  know  my  own.  I  will 
not  trouble  you  with  theological  controversy,  knowing  how 
painful  it  is  to  you.  I  will  only  say,  ask  your  beloved  friend 
and  preceptress,  Heloise,  to  advise  you  in  the  matter  of  your 
marriage.  We  both  know  her  far  too  well  to  harbor  the  faint- 
est suspicion  that  she  can  be  capable  of  giving  any  other  sugges- 
tions than  those  prompted  by  the  far-seeing  angel  who  guides 
her  life,  and  whom  I  have  recently  seen  in  my  own  visions  as 
a  being  of  particular  brightness  and  glory.  Perhaps  we  may 
receive  some  message  from  Paris  this  evening1.  You  have  no 

o  o 

doubt  received  communications  yourself  from  Heloise  in  a  man- 
ner resembling  that  in  which  we  were  accustomed  to  get  them 
in  New  York." 

To  this  suggestion  of  Mrs.  Finchley's  the  lovely  singer  at 
once  replied:  "Oh,  I  should  be  so  glad  to  hear  her  sweet 
voice  trembling  on  the  air,  as  I  heard  it  once  in  my  dressing- 
room  at  Covent  Garden.  It  was  the  first  night  I  appeared 
before  an  English  audience,  and  I  was  very  nervous,  the 
ground  seemed  quaking  under  my  feet;  then  I  heard  the 
sweetest  song  to  which  I  have  ever  listened  vibrating  in  my 
ear,  and  quickly  a  star  appeared  before  me,  in  the  center  of 
which  I  read  the  words  traced  in  letters  formed  of  electric 
light,  'Follow  the  star  within,  respond  to  the  voice  of  the 
Great  Central  Sphere  of  Being;  so  shall  your  success  be  as- 
sured forever.  Heed  not  the  opinions  of  the  world.  Sing  to 
God  and  to  His  angels,  and  men  will  rejoice  in  the  echo  of  your 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  25 

song/  I  was  no  longer  timid.  All  fright  vanished  in- 
stantly, I  scored  my  first  triumph,  but  never  saw  or  heard  the 
audience  till  a  gentleman  handed  me  a  lovely  basket  of  roses 
and  japonicas,  then  I  heard  the  whole  multitude  recalling  me. 
I  responded  to  the  recall,  but  again  while  I  was  singing  I  saw 
only  a  star  shining  before  my  eyes;  I  felt  the  star  was  a  veil 
hiding  the  radiant  features  of  invisible  helpers  and  listeners. 
Since  that  day  I  have  never  heard  the  voice,  but  whenever  I 
call  for  the  star  it  shines  before  me.  I  think  the  Star  of  Beth- 
lehem must  have  been  a  light  seen  by  the  shepherds  and  the 
wise  men  in  some  such  way,  rather  than  one  of  the  orbs  in 
the  sky." 

While  Signornina  Ferranita  was  thus  speaking,  and  Mrs. 
Cockroach  listening  with  all  her  ears,  a  low,  sweet  Gregorian 
chant  sounded  through  the  room:  "Credo  in  unam  sanctam 
Catholicam  et  apostolicam  Ecclesiam" 

"Oh,  do  listen  to  the  dear  spirits;  what  are  they  singing? 
Why,  this  is  just  like  Mr.  Higginbotham's  dark  seances,  only 
it  isn't  nearly  so  dark  here.  We  shall  get  materialization  di- 
rectly. O  dear,  how  beautiful!  It  sends  the  cold  shudders 
all  through  me,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Cockroach,  who  could  not  in 
the  least  distinguish  between  the  silvery  tones  of  the  voice 
then  sounding  and  the  harsh  guttural  tones  produced  through 
a  cardboard  tube  at  the  home  of  the  illustrious  Higginbotham. 
Any  way,  she  appreciated  anything  and  everything  which 
seemed  to  her  to  emanate  from  the  spheres  invisible,  and  thus 
enjoyed  a  great  deal,  and  doubtless  derived  much  solid  com- 
fort, though  as  an  expert  in  discrimination  she  was  a  decided 
failure. 

"Why  does  she  sing  from  the  'Credo?'"  queried  the 
young  Italian,  who  at  once  detected  the  voice  of  Heloise. 

Instantly  a  voice  penetrated  the  room,  though  no  one  saw 
anything  and  the  voice  said:  "Do  you  not  remember,  carris- 
sima  Lavinia,  our  conversations  on  the  spirit  and  the  body  of 
the  church.  Multitudes  are  in  the  body  of  the  Roman  fold 


26  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

who  are  quite  outside  the  universal  church  of  the  spirit,  while 
many  Protestants  and  some  agnostics  are  fully  in  the  circle  of 
the  true  church  of  the  Spirit.  The  man  who  loves  you  and 
wishes  to  make  you  his  bride  is  a  Catholic  in  our  sense  of  the 
word,  if  a  Protestant  in  yours.  You  can  marry  him  fearlessly, 
but  let  your  heart  dictate  to  you  and  not  our  judgment, 
Still,  as  you  love  him,  and  this  fact  you  cannot  disguise  from 
yourself  at  any  time,  say  yes  when  next  he  presents  himself  as 
suitor  for  your  hand,  he  already  possesses  your  heart." 

The  voice  ceased  suddenly  as  it  had  commenced  speaking, 
and  the  beautiful  girl  found  herself  held  tightly  in  the  em- 
brace of  Lady  Ambleside,  while  Lord  Ambleside  pressed  on 
her  snowy  forehead  such  a  kiss  as  fond  fathers  bestow  only  on 
dearly  cherished  daughters. 

"Be  a  good  wife  to  our  boy,  and  heaven  reward  you  in 
this  world  and  forever,"  said  the  stately  gentleman,  who  loved 
Lavinia  as  though  she  were  already  his  child  in  every  sense  of 
the  word. 

"Let  me  pray  over  it  for  a  week,"  responded  the  pure- 
minded  damsel,  and  next  Sunday,  if  Lord  Clive  honors  me 
with  a  repetition  of  his  proposal,  I  shall  know  how  to  answer 
him." 

With  these  words,  (too  deeply  affected  for  further  speech) 
she  hastily  quitted  the  room  and  sought  the  privacy  of  her  own 
chamber,  where  for  three  hours  she  knelt  before  the  ivory  cru- 
cifix her  mother  had  loved  devotedly,  and  entrusted  to  her 
child  while  dying,  and  committed  her  life  and  all  its  concerns 
to  the  Eternal  Parent,  who  seemed  to  speak  to  her  inmost  soul 
when  prostrate  before  the  representation  of  His  infinite  goodness 
in  opening  a  channel  of  grace  so  directly  between  Himself 
and  those  of  his  children  who  now  inhabit  this  dim,  frail 
planet,  as  the  crucifix  outpictures. 

Night  fell  apace,  all  the  household  were  wrapped  in 
slumber;  Mrs.  Cockroach  had  been  long  since  called  for  by 
her  maid,  and  was  sleeping  serenely  in  an  old-fashioned  four- 


OJSTESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  27 

poster  at  Laburnum  Villa;  when  at  length  a  definite  answer 
seemed  to  come  to  the  earnest  petitions  of  the  young  suppli- 
ant at  the  Throne  of  Grace.  She  saw  a  life  of  happy  useful- 
ness outspreading  before  her  in  a  charming  country  house,  the 
ancestral  home  of  many  generations  of  Amblesides  and  Olives; 
and  when  at  length  she  betook  herself  to  her  pretty  couch 
surrounded  with  pink  and  white  curtains  of  muslin  and  satin? 
and  gazed  upon  a  beautiful  Parian  statue  of  Our  Lady  of 
Lourdes  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  it  seemed  to  her  as  though  the 
placid  features  of  the  impassive  statue  faded  out,  and  her 
mother's  form,  warm,  sentient  and  vital,  stood  before  her 
with  hands  extended  in  blessing. 

The  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens  when  the  rising  bell  rang 
through  the  house  next  morning,  and  then  three  quarters  of 
an  hour  later  summoned  all  the  guests  and  inmates  to  break- 
fast. It  was  a  very  happy,  yet  a  serious  rather  than  a  merry 
party  which  gathered  round  the  table  in  the  comfortable 
dining-room,  discussing  the  events  of  the  preceding  evening, 
and  talking  over  the  future  prospects  of  all  the  party.  It  was 
with  many  a  regret  that  Dr.  Maxwell  and  Mrs.  Finchley  felt 
compelled  to  decline  all  offers  of  prolonged  hospitality  from 
the  Amblesides.  But  with  these  good  people  DUTY  BEFORE 
PLEASURE  was  a  constant  life  motto,  and  duty  soon  becomes 
pleasure  when  pleasure  is  surrendered  to  it.  After  many  warm 
protestations  of  undying  friendship  on  all  sides,  the  visitors 
left  the  Darning  Needles  about  noon,  took  the  12:30  train  to 
London,  arriving  at  Victoria  about  1:15. 

Having  many  things  to  do  and  much  to  see,  time  sped  by 
on  rapid  wings,  till  Wednesday  morning  at  8:30,  found  them 
en  route  for  Southampton,  on  the  special  express  connecting 
with  the  Lloyd  steamer  just  arrived  from  Bremen  on  the  re- 
turn voyage  to  New  York.  A  Lloyd  steamer  is  a  floating 
palace.  Persons  desiring  cheap  accommodations  when  cross- 
ing the  Atlantic  may  find  themselves  comfortably  suited  on 
the  Hamburg- American  packets;  or,  if  their  means  allow  a 


28  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

little  higher  rate,  very  nice  accommodations  can  be  secured 
very  reasonably  on  the  Red  Star  line,  whose  steamers  land  at 
Antwerp.  But  if  one  can  afford  one  hundred  dollars  for  each 
person's  passage,  then  the  Lloyd  is  not  only  unsurpassed,  but 
probably  unequaled,  particularly  if  the  intending  passengers 
are  lovers  of  good  music  and  an  unexceptionable  cuisine. 

The  band  was  playing  merrily  and  loudly  on  deck,  hand- 
kerchiefs were  waving  and  tears  were  falling,  as  the  good  ship 
steamed  out  of  Southampton  water  at  1  p.  M.  precisely.  Mrs. 
Kittenscomb  and  Alicia  were  on  board,  accompanied  by  Mrs. 
Catsleigh,  who  had  grown  tired  of  London  in  a  very  few  days 
especially  as  she  and  her  agent  had  squabbled  over  the  mone- 
tary arrangements,  which  to  her,  were  far  from  satisfactory, 
and  the  highly  self-important  Alphonse  had  secured  a  position 
exactly  to  his  liking  as  business  manager  to  a  new  star,  a 
wealthy  young  American  lady,  whose  uncle  was  willing  to  put 
up  any  amount  of  money  to  bring  his  aspiring  darling  histri- 
onic fame. 

Mrs.  Kittenscomb  and  her  little  daughter  had  arrived  at 
the  Metropole  while  Dr.  Maxwell  and  his  party  were  at  Croy- 
don.  She  had  met  Mr.  Fischer-Bennett,  with  whom  she  was 
charmed,  and  at  once  requested  him  to  introduce  her  to  some 
suitable  lady,  as  she  felt  quite  lost  without  Miss  Newmanhoff, 
from  whom  she  was  now  finally  separated,  and  must  find  some 
one  to  fill  her  place.  Mr.  Bennett  escorted  her  to  Clarendon 
Square  Chapel  to  the  evening  service  for  on  learning  he  was 
a  preacher  and  acquainted  with  her  friends,  she  expressed  a 
great  desire  to  hear  him,  and  declared  she  was  so  strong  after 
the  treatment  she  had  received  in  Paris  that  she  was  not  the 
least  tired  after  her  journey;  neither  was  Alicia,  who  struck 
Mr.  Bennett  as  the  lovliest  child  he  had  ever  met. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


"The  swift  years  pass  and  on  their  wings 
They  bear  our  brightest  dreams  away. 
If  we  can  but  illusions  spurn 
We  need  not  fear  the  future  day. 
But  rather  with  exultant  hope 
Look  forward  to  that  dazzling  good 
Where  higher  love  than  earth  can  yield 
Will  satify  the  undying  soul, 
In  patience  we  our  lives  possess 
And  gaze  toward  future  blessedness." 

As  they  were  leaving  the  chapel,  Mrs.  Catsleigh,  who  had 
attended  the  service  alone  and  had  sobbed  into  a  lace  hand- 
kerchief during  an  affecting  portion  of  the  sermon — came  up 
to  Mr.  Bennett,  to  whom  she  had  been  previously  intro- 
duced, requesting  an  interview,  and  complaining  that  all  her 
London  projects  were  a  failure,  and  she  did  not  know  what  to 
do  in  England  nor  how  to  get  back  to  America.  She  was  so 
distracted,  she  said,  she  must  tell  her  sorrows  to  some  one  that 
very  night  or  she  would  lose  her  reason.  Had  dear  Mrs. 
Finchley  been  at  home  she  would  not  have  troubled  a  gentle- 
man, but  she  felt  (and  here  she  smiled  through  her  tears  in 
her  most  entrancing  manner)  that  so  good  and  large-hearted  a 
man  as  Mr.  Martindale  Fischer-Bennett — so  eloquent  a 
preacher  and  truly  a  man  of  God — would  not  be  offended  at 
the  tears  of  a  poor  stranded  woman,  whom  fickle  fortune  had 
cruelly  abandoned  in  the  wilds  of  the  modern  Babylon. 

Mrs.  Kittenscomb,  whose  feelings  were  very  tender,  at 


30  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

once  implored  Mrs.  Catsleigh  to  come  to  her  apartments,  and 
tell  her  everything,  for  she  felt  sure  some  way  out  of  present 
difficulties  could  easily  be  found.  Mrs.  Catsleigh  was  only  too 
ready  to  accede  to  such  a  proposition,  as  she  was  boiling  over 
with  rage  and  disappointment,  and  hated  nothing  so  much  as 
to  have  to  repress  her  overwrought  feelings.  Good-natured  Mrs. 
Kittenscomb  who  was  in  love  with  the  actress  within  half  an 
hour — told  her  all  her  private  history,  and  literally  importuned 
her  to  accompany  herself  and  daughter  to  America,  at  the  same 
time  taking  from  her  purse  a  considerable  sum  of  money, 
which  she  insisted  on  her  new  acquaintance  accepting  without 
a  murmur,  "just  to  pay  necessary  bills,  you  know,  and  provide 
a  few  trifles  for  the  journey." 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Catsleigh,  shrugging  her  shoulders, 
and  pursing  up  her  lips  expressively,  "if  you  insist  I  would  be 
ungrateful  to  refuse.  I  haven't  a  penny  in  the  world,  and 
this  loan  will  really  tide  me  over  the  worst  place  I  ever  did 
get  into.  As  soon  as  I  get  on  my  feet  again,  I  shall  return  it 
to  you,  as  I  could  not  accept  a  gift  from  one  to  whom  I  have 
rendered  no  service." 

By  this  time  Alicia  was  on  Mrs.  Catsleigh's  knee,  with 
her  arms  round  her  neck.  Few  children  could  resist  the  per- 
fect portrayal  of  the  mother  on  the  stage,  whose  part  Mrs. 
Catsleigh  played  to  perfection.  Her  "I  adore  children" 
was  simply  irresistible,  not  only  to  the  child  adored,  but  to  the 
child's  mother,  the  way  to  whose  heart  the  speaker  of  those 
words  knew  so  well  how  to  travel.  It  must  not  be  inferred 
that  Mrs.  Catsleigh  did  not  like  children,  or  that  she  was  a 
hypocrite;  she  was  really  fond  of  little  ones,  provided  they 
behaved  well  and  she  was  not  in  a  bad  temper,  but,  whenever 
she  wanted  a  favor,  she  knew  just  how  to  approach  the  partic- 
ular person  from  whom  she  felt,  in  the  special  circumstances, 
it  could  most  readily  be  obtained. 

Dr.  Maxwell  was  surprised,  and  not  quite  glad,  to  see  her 
domiciled  with  Mrs.  Kittenscomb  and  Alicia,  as  he  did  not 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  31 

feel  her  to  be  quite  a  suitable  companion  for  those  ladies;  she 
was  too  selfish  and  capricious  to  be  safely  entrusted  with  per- 
sons of  such  tender  fiber  as  these  two  ladies;  but,  as  was  in- 
variably the  case  after  a  course  of  treatment  with  Professor  de 
Montmarte,  persons  hitherto  weak  and  nerveless  grew  strong 
and  able  to  carry  their  own  burdens  and  steer  their  bark  safely 
even  in  perilous  shallows. 

As  the  eight  days  of  the  voyage  rolled  quickly  by,  and 
the  shores  of  America  began  to  appear  in  sight,  not  one  of  the 
party  who  had  been  so  happy  in  Europe  felt  in  any  way  sorry 
to  return  to  their  old  homes,  and  take  up  afresh  the  thread  of 
time-honored  duties.  When  the  steamer  had  landed  at  the 
New  York  pier,  and  the  party  at  312  Sycamore  Avenue  was 
again  what  it  was  two  months  earlier,  and  Mr,  and  Mrs. 
Templeton  were  talking  of  hastening  to  Vermont,  it  seemed  as 
thoug-h  all  that  had  been  crowded  into  a  few  eventful  weeks 
could  only  be  a  dream — one  of  those  sweet,  restful,  inspiring, 
happy  dreams,  from  which  the  dreamer  awakes  with  a  sense  of 
strength  renewed  and  new  strength  gained,  at  peace  with 
Heaven,  himself  and  all  mankind. 

Dr.  Maxwell  was  quite  unable  to  go  to  Saddlerock,  but 
Mrs.  Kittenscomb,  proving  herself  an  efficient  manager  of 
household  affairs,  and  Mrs.  Catsleigh  rising  to  the  occasion  as 
a  really  valuable  assistant  in  domestic  management,  Mrs. 
Finchley  consented  to  pay  a  week's  visit  to  the  Templeton 
homestead,  where  a  most  enthusiastic  welcome  was  accorded 
her  by  the  good  mother  of  Onesimus.  That  kind  faithful 
woman  won  her  way  to  Mrs  Finchley's  kind  heart  at  the  first 
instant  of  their  meeting;  and  as  she  saw  how  devoted  the 
newly-married  couple  were  to  each  other,  and  how  Lydia  flew 
to  the  arms  of  her  generous  mother-in-law,  the  hearts  of  all  re- 
joiced in  the  consummation  of  one  of  those  rare  unions  on 
earth,  to  which  the  words  truly  apply — 

"Those  whom  God  has  joined  together 
No  earthly  power  can  ever  sever." 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  NEW  GOSPEL  IN  THE  OLD  PULPIT. 


No  more  need  sorrow  drape  the  soul 
At  prospect  of  unending  doom, 
The  universe  is  filled  with  love, 
Death  disappears,  and  lo!  the  tomb 
Once  freighted  with  most  dark  despair, 
Now  seems  a  silent,  placid  bed, 
Whereon  the  wearied  members  lie; 
While  from  the  arching  blue  o'erhead 
Bright  angels  with  sweet  voices  chant 
Songs  of  new  life  which  ne'er  shall  end, 
Warbling  their  carols  beautiful 
Concerning  time,  whose  stream  doth  bend 
Toward  the  fair  circle  of  that  heaven, 
Where  all  God's  children  find  a  home, 
However  widely  they  have  strayed, 
Beneath  the  blue  of  heaven's  broad  dome; 
God  knows  no  lost  and  sees  no  dead, 
All  live  by  His  true  spirit  led. 

Once  more  it  was  Sunday  morning,  the  bell  was  ringing 
in  the  belfry  of  the  Saddlerock  Baptist  church,  when  nigh  on 
10:30  o'clock,  a  crowd  was  pouring  in  through  the  wide 
opened  doors,  to  the  already  well  filled  edifice.  Choice 
flowers  and  evergreens,  together  with  an  extremely  attract- 
ive musical  program,  had  been  provided  to  add  beauty  to  the 
occasion  when  a  devoted  circle  of  friends  welcomed  back  its 
beloved  pastor  from  his  summer  tour  in  Europe,  and  at  the 
same  time  extended  its  warmest  greetings  to  his  fair  young 
bride.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Templeton  looked  very  impressive  and 
earnest  as  they  entered  the  church  together.  The  minister 
appeared  deeply  impressed  with  the  new  sense  of  intense  ob- 
ligation to  withhold  nothing  from  his  hearers  of  the  new  light 
which  had  been  vouchsafed  to  him;  his  wife  was  a  trifle  trem- 

32 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  33 

ulous  at  thought  of  the  new  life  of  work  and  responsibility 
which  lay  before  her.  They  were  both  grave,  but  serenely 
happy;  not  only  were  they  more  than  contented  with  and  in 
each  other;  they  could  see  far  beyond  the  narrow  horizon  of 
domestic  bliss,  and  scanned  the  broad  fields  of  universal  help- 
fulness to  humanity,  now  stretching  distantly  before  them. 

Saddlerock  was,  on  the  whole,  a  conservative  and  some- 
what benighted  place;  its  people,  with  few  exceptions,  read 
little  and  reasoned  less,  though  some  minds  of  more  than 
average  brightness  were  to  be  found  twice  each  Sunday  in  the 
Baptist  church,  as  well  as  in  the  literary  and  debating  society 
which  assembled  in  the  vestry  every  Wednesday  evening  after 
the  prayer-meeting.  The  greatest  obstacle  in  the  way  of  reli- 
gion in  the  neighborhood,  was  the  pastor  of  the  adjoining 
township,  the  Rev.  Veeshus  Mewle,  a  man  of  no  more  intelli- 
gence or  moral  excellence  than  "Mr.  Dyceworthy,"  the  Luth- 
eran pastor  whom  Marie  Corelli  has  drawn  with  such  a  faith- 
ful hand  in  her  magnificent  production,  "Thelma."  This  con- 
ceited but  utterly  unprincipled  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing  had 
taken  advantage  of  Mr.  Templeton's  absence  to  berate  him, 
and  malign  his  character  to  the  members  of  his  church,  and 
all  under  the  assumed  pretext  of  "duty,  painful,  sad  duty,  but 
duty  nevertheless." 

Having  resorted  to  the  lowest  cunning  in  bis  efforts  to 
steal  a  march  on  Mr.  Templeton  and  place  his  own  nephew 
in  the  Saddlerock  pulpit,  this  "  pious,  elect,  and  godly"  man 
had  announced,  "Wolves  in  the  clothing  of  sheep,"  as  the 
topic  of  his  discourse  the  previous  Sunday  evening,  and  to 
secure  an  audience,  he  had  engaged  the  brass  band  of  the 
village  "at  great  expense,"  to  play  for  nothing  and  accompany 
the  fine  vocal  efforts  of  six  young  ladies  who  were  announced 
as  having  studied  in  Italy  for  three  years,  under  the 
best  masters,  but  who  had  never  left  America.  The 
tricks  of  a  nefarious  trade  were,  in  Mr.  Mewle's  opinion, 
"glorifying  God  and  hastening  the  salvation  of  souls." 


34  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

Had  it  not  been  for  his  recent  experiences  in  Paris, 
and  his  consequent  knowledge  of  the  utter  folly  and 
even  wrong  of  recognizing  evil  sufficiently  to  let  it 
trouble  us,  Mr.  Templeton,  who  was  (by  inheritance  from 
his  mother)  very  sensitive,  notwithstanding  his  depth  and  de- 
termination of  character,  would  have  been  pained  and  grieved 
at  the  knowledge  of  such  hostility  manifested '  by  a  brother 
minister.  As  it  was,  he  saw  in  Mr.  Mewle  the  representative 
of  a  mendacious  theology,  as  well  as  of  a  dishonest  social 
practice.  Feeling  he  could  no  longer  fraternize  either  with 
such  a  man  or  with  his  opinions,  and  that  the  time  had  come 
for  him  to  strike  out  boldly  in  opposition  to  the  theories  he 
had  once  blindly  advocated,  it  was  with  a  firm,  uncompromis- 
ing tread  that  Mr.  Templeton  ascended  the  pulpit  stairs,  and 
after  conducting  the  devotional  exercises  with  far  more  than 
his  old  time  earnestness  and  simplicity,  preached  a  grand, 
simple,  eloquent  sermon  (if  so  friendly  and  conversational  a 
style  of  delivery  could  be  said  to  resemble  preaching),  from 
the  text,  "What  went  ye  out  for  to  see,  a  reed  shaken  by  the 
wind?" 

Taking  his  start  from  the  comparative  degree  of  truth 
revealed  to  the  world  by  John  the  Baptist,  and  the  superlative 
measure  of  enlightenment  dispensed  by  Jesus,  Mr.  Templeton 
compared  the  twilight  glimmerings  of  the  old  theology  with 
the  glorious  blaze  of  heavenly  radiance  now  bursting  upon 
the  world,  though  entirely  unsuspected  by  the  multitude,  and 
but  poorly  understood  or  even  anticipated  by  the  foremost 
workers  in  the  vineyards  of  reform.  How  many  are  there, 
even  among  social  and  religious  agitators,  who  have  the  least 
conception  of  what  the  new  industrial  order  will  be?  The 
present  state  of  the  world  is  everywhere  tottering  to  its  fall, 
but  a  new  earth  is  about  to  be  evolved,  in  which  righteousness 
will  abide  and  be  made  manifest,  and  toward  this  new  era  of 
universal  peace  and  good-will  every  effort  of  the  most  igno- 
rant and  misguided  is  being  directed  by  a  power  holding  the 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  35 

reins  behind  the  veil,  and  in  a  manner  far  beyond  present 
human  ken. 

As  no  village,  in  America,  and  scarcely  one  in  Europe  to- 
day, can  be  so  utterly  behind  the  times  as  to  feel  nothing  of 
the  impending  mental  revolution,  Mr.  Templeton  knew  he 
would  be  striking  a  responsive  echo  in  the  intellects  and 
hearts  of  all  his  auditors, — many  of  whom  were  working  men 
and  their  families, — if  he  gave  them  a  brief  outline  of  Prof,  de 
Montmarte's  management  of  his  property  in  the  south  of 
France.  As  he  expatiated  upon  the  blessedness  of  co-opera- 
tion and  the  cursedness  of  monopoly  and  competition,  many 
of  his  hearers  longed  to  depart  from  the  time-honored  deco- 
rum of  a  place  of  worship,  and  applaud  lustily.  As  it  was, 
not  daring  to  kick  over  the  traces  of  eclesiastical  decency, 
they  gave  their  minister  that  animated,  whole-souled  atten- 
tion, expressed  in  illuminated  countenances  and  rapt  interest 
which  makes  a  speaker's  duty  one  of  the  most  delightful  upon 
the  earth. 

Passing  from  this  topic  to  themes  more  transcendental, 
he  gave  some  little  account  of  the  marvels  he  had  witnessed 
in  Paris;  then  spoke  of  London;  related  the  incident  of  Sig- 
norina  Ferranita's  bringing  Miss  Carroll  to  the  front  after  she 
had  been  snubbed  by  snobs  and  dismissed  by  a  truckling 
manager,  and  then  warmed  up  with  kindly  allusions  to  the 
work  of  Mr.  Martindale  Fisher-Bennett,  the  son  of  the  ortho- 
dox pastor  who  was  his  predecessor  in  the  place  where  they 
.were  then  assembled. 

The  discourse  was  a  wonderful  mosaic  of  narrative  and 
argument,  intensely  alive  with  the  warmest  and  truest  senti- 
iment.  Mr.  Templeton  never  used  to  preach  in  that  strain. 
He  formerly  delivered  didactic  homilies  or  moral  essays,  always 
used  notes,  and  sometimes  read  from  manuscript;  but,  since  his 
wonderful  Parisian  experience,  he  spoke  quite  impromptu  and 
from  exalted  inspiration. 

As  the  large  congregation  slowly  left  the   church,  many 


36  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

were  the  comments  upon  the  preacher's  change  of  style.  All 
agreed  that  he  was  marvelously  eloquent  and  thrillingly  im- 
pressive. Every  broad,  liberal-minded  one  among  them  was 
delighted,  both  with  his  sentiment  and  oratory.  There  were, 
of  course,  some  of  the  old  stagers  who  were  fearful  lest  he  was 
on  the  high  road  to  Unitarianism  or  Spiritualism,  and  felt  it  to 
be  their  "painful  duty"  to  construct  labored  notes  during  the 
afternoon  to  hand  to  him  before  the  evening  service,  implor- 
ing him  not  to  depart  from  the  old  standards. 

Two  or  three  of  Mr.  Mewle's  particular  friends  could 
scarcely  walk  quickly  enough  in  their  eager  earnestness  to 
discuss  Mr.  Templeton's  "blasphemy"  with  that  "dear  man  of 
God,"  with  whom  they  regularly  partook  of  cold  mutton  and 
pie  every  Sunday  at  1  p.  m.  Mr.  Mewle's  face  beamed  with 
satisfaction,  and  he  chuckled  all  over  as  he  was  assured  by  his 
intimates  that  the  Baptist  Union  would  expel  Mr.  Templeton 
ignominiously — that  all  that  was  necessary  to  "kick  him  out 
of  the  church  of  God"  was  to  persuade  him  to  have  some  of 
his  discourses  published  and  revised  by  his  own  hand.  These 
heretical  documents,  which  he  would  acknowledge  as  thor- 
oughly authentic,  would  be  more  than  enough  to  remove  the 
"blasphemer,"  and  install  the  Rev.  Tarantulus  Mewle  (nephew 
of  the  Rev.  Veeshus  Mewle)  in  his  stead.  With  these  "pious" 
ends  in  view  they  schemed  and  plotted  through  the  peaceful 
hours  of  a  lovely  Sabbath  afternoon,  completely  ignorant  of 
the  fact  that  their  Sabbath-breaking  was  an  offense  infinitely 
more  heinous  in  the  sight  of  heaven  than  even  the  bull  fights, 
at  Seville,  which,  disgraceful  to  relate,  occur  on  Sunday  after- 
noons in  the  open  square  in  front  of  the  Cathedral,  and  that  in 
a  country  professedly  Christian  and  Catholic. 

By  7  o'clock  in  the  evening  Mr.  Templeton's  church  was 
again  crowded,  more  so  than  in  the  morning.  His  sermon  had 
created  a  sensation,  and  many  who  looked  upon  orthodox  re- 
ligion as  a  humbug  were  very  anxious  to  hear  him  on  "The 
Old  Fetters  and  the  New  Faith,"  which  he  had  announced  at 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  37 

the  close  of  his  morning  discourse  as  his  topic  for  the  even- 
ing. The  church  was  thronged  almost  to  suffocation.  Com- 
p  anies  of  workmen,  who  never  attended  a  place  of  worship, 
were  present  with  their  wives  and  elder  children;  and  numer- 
ous visitors  from  surrounding-  hamlets  availed  themselves  of 
the  moonlight  evening  to  hear  a  prophet  who  had  been  reared 
among  them,  but  only  just  achieved  notoriety.  The  lights 
and  flowers,  the  inspiring  music  and  exquisitely  touching 
prayer,  all  prepared  the  minds  of  the  throng  to  appreciate 
what  the  minister  was  about  to  say  before  he  uttered  it,  so 
that  when  he  came  to  the  delivery  of  his  discourse  every 
mind,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  was  prepared  to  drink  in 
some  of  the  copious  instruction  which  fell  so  finely  from  his 
evidently  inspired  lips. 

Fixing  his  expressive  eyes  upon  the  sea  of  upturned  faces, 
without  apparently  regarding  any  one  in  particular,  the 
preacher  commenced  in  firm,  well-modulated  accents: 

"My  friends,  this  day  is  indeed  an  auspicious  one  in  my 
history.  I  have  resolved  to  leave  the  Baptist  Union, 
for  though  I  am  a  firmer  believer  in  divine  revelation  than 
when  I  addressed  you  three  months  ago,  I  cannot  longer  re- 
main as  a  representative  of  a  denomination  whose  avowed 
tenets  are  not  in  accordance  with  the  findings  of  my  soul.  I 
trust  I  am  still  a  Christian,  but  I  am  no  longer  a  Baptist,  nor 
can  I  leave  one  sect  to  join  another,  as  all  sectarianism  now 
appears  to  me  as  a  dwarfing  of  the  soul's  liberty,  and  a  protest 
against  that  true  catholicity,  which  is  the  infallible  seal  of  the 
church  of  God.  Do  not  think  from  these  words  that  I  am  on 
the  threshold  of  Rome,  Greece,  or  England;  for,  though  I 
believe  in  apostolic  succession,  and  in  "one  Lord,  one  faith, 
and  one  baptism,"  my  eyes  have  been  opened  to  the  inner 
meanings  of  things,  the  outer  forms  of  which  previously  ap- 
peared to  me  their  all.  We  are,  I  am  convinced,  at  the  com- 
mencement of  a  mighty  revolution — not  like  that  of  France 
in  the  last  century,  when  the  deposition  of  religion  and  en- 


38  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

throning  of  vaunted  reason  coincided  with  belligerent  cruelty 
of  the  most  astounding  and  horrible  type,  but  a  revolution  to  be 
affected  solely  through  the  operation  of  the  spiritual  element 
in  man — a  force  which  uses  moral  suasion  and  intellectual  ap- 
peal as  its  only  weapons.  I  have  been  thinking  deeply  of 
late  on  the  subject  of  divine  revelation,  and  I  can  no  longer 
believe  that  it  is  intermittent  or  exclusive.  The  Scriptures 
teach  me  plainly  that  inspiration  is  free  as  air  and  sunshine  to 
all  who  receive  it.  If  we  remain  in  darknass  it  is  on  account 
of  willful  blindness  on  our  part. 

"You  may  wonder  what  I  think  of  the  hundreds  of  mill- 
ions of  "heathen,"  as  we  have  been  disposed  to  call  the  great 
bulk  of  Asiatics  and  Africans,  for  whose  conversion  to  technical 
Christianity  we  have  many  of  us  expended  much  time,  means 
and  labor.  My  present  conviction  is  that  they  are  as  safe  as 
we,  in  the  embrace  of  all-encompassing  divine  love.  Christ 
to  me  is  no  longer  a  restricted  Savior,  dwarfed  in  his  abilities 
by  the  extent  of  our  contributions  or  the  zeal  of  our  mission- 
aries. The  Holy  Spirit  appears  to  me  now  as  an  all-persua- 
sive emanation  of  divine  love  and  wisdom,  breathing  with  the 
sovereignty  ascribed  to  it  by  Calvin,  but  with  all  the  impar- 
tiality for  which  the  Universalists  of  a  century  ago  contended 
so  manfully.  Were  this  church  nominally  Universalist,  I 
might  remain  its  pastor  and  preach  my  convictions,  but  even 
then  I  should  feel  the  bondage  of  a  sect,  though  an  unusually 
broad  one.  As  it  is,  I  must  be  free  to  speak  and  write  as  I 
feel,  for  there  is  not,  in  my  estimation,  a  greater  crime,  if  one 
so  great,  as  compromise  with  conscience. 

"My  dear  young  wife,  who  comes  among  you  as  my  com- 
panion and  helpmeet  in  all  things,  is  one  with  me  in  all  my 
sentiments  and  ambitions;  she  and  I,  together  with  my  dear 
mother,  have  resolved  to  form  the  nucleus  of  an  un sectarian 
society  here  in  Saddlerock,  so,  though  I  resign  my  pastorate 
of  this  church,  I  hope  to  remain  and  work  with  you. 

"Let  the  Baptist  church  of  this  place  choose  a  minister  ao- 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  39 

cording  to  its  will — one  whose  views  harmonize  with  the  con- 
fession of  faith — and,  though  he  and  I  cannot  agree  theologi- 
cally, if  he  will  allow  it,  we  can  co-operate  philanthropically. 
Henceforth  I  belong  to  humanity,  and  not  to  any  sect.  I  feel 
that  those  who  would  reach  the  masses  of  the  great  unchurched 
must  carry  a  gospel  to  the  people  "unhampered  with  the 
dogmas  of  any  body  of  people  who  place  uniformity  of  belief 
before  the  practice  of  virtue.  I  am  not  among  those  who  see 
nothing  but  error  in  the  sects,  nor  am  I  one  who  anticipates  a 
decadence  of  faith  or  dearth  of  religious  life  in  the  next  gen- 
eration. Religion  has  been  under  a  cloud,  from  which  it  is 
now  rapidly  emerging;  and,  while  man's  faith  in  God  will 
grow  brighter,  his  opinions  concerning  God  must  radically 
change.  Evolution  to  my  mind,  is  not  inconsistent  with  the 
most  fervid  piety  and  simple  trust  in  omniscient,  omnipotent 
goodness;  but  evolution  cuts  the  ground  finally  from  under 
the  old  view  of  man's  fall  and  subsequent  redemption.  Jesus 
is  more  to  me  now  than  he  ever  was  before,  not  as  an  atoning 
sacrifice,  but  as  a  spiritual  power,  leading  men  to  righteous- 
ness by  the  mighty  power  of  his  boundless  love  and  wisdom. 
I  cannot  advocate  uncertain  dogmas,  nor  can  1  care  what  creed 
a  man  professes  if  he  be  sincere — at  the  same  time,  agnosti- 
cism to  me  is  no  gospel.  Affirmative  spiritual  truth  is  the  joy 
of  my  life,  the  satisfaction  of  my  intellect,  the  object  of  my 
inmost  affection.  I  believe  in  miracles  now  more  than  I  ever 
did,  but  I  have  learned  to  refer  them  to  the  operation  of  un- 
changing law,  not  to  its  suspension;  by  law  I  do  not  mean 
a  blind,  self-existent  necessity,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  im- 
mutable order  of  the  Universe,  expressive  of  God's  change- 
less power. 

Proceeding  in  this  strain  for  fully  an  hour,  taking  up, 
point  by  point,  the  leading  doctrines  of  the  Christian  religion, 
Mr.  Templeton  led  his  hearers  by  a  series  of  logically  success- 
ive steps  to  the  crown  of  his  argument,  which  burst  upon  them 
as  a  thoroughly  rational,  though  deeply  spiritual  view  of  the 
atonement.  His  words  on  this  subject  were  as  follows: 


40  ONESIMUti  TEMPLETON. 

"And  now,  m j  friends,  we  reach  the  apex  of  our  pyramid, 
the  foundation  of  which  is  the  perfect  square  of  absolute  divine 
equity.  How  blindly  and  foolishly  have  men  been  prating 
through  the  centuries  of  an  opposition  between  the  attributes 
of  the  Almighty.  God's  attributes  are  distinct  the  one  from 
the  other,  but  never  can  one  be  opposed  to  another,  or  God 
himself  would  cease  to  be;  for,  whatsoever  is  at  variance  with 
itself,  by  such  variance  is  brought  to  destruction. 

"  "Mercy  and  justice  are  eternally  inseparable;  God  is  love 
and  wisdom.  Divine  Love  is  recognized  by  us  when  we  are 
confront  ed  with  mercy  in  the  scheme  of  providence;  Divine 
Wisdom  is  displayed  to  us  when  justice  meets  our  view.  Jus- 
tice and  mercy  are  in  truth,  as  man  and  wife,  when  the  two 
are  no  more  twain,  but  one  spirit.  This  sublime  verity  how- 
ever, is  inconceivable  by  us  until  through  inward  purity,  puri 
ty  of  affection,  desire,  aspiration  and  WILL,  we  attain  to  the 
glorified  condition  of  those  who  see  Eternal  Good  in 
all.  Jesus  as  a  perfect,  living,  breathing,  working  ex- 
ponent of  the  Divine  Character,  as  hetraveled  over  the 
earth,  perpetually  emanated  virtue  as  a  flower  exhales 
fragrance.  This  elixir  of  life,  potent  to  heal  all  disor- 
ders of  men's  moral,  mental  and  physical  condition  was  the 
power  by  which  he  brought  sinners  to  repentance,  cast  out 
unclean  demons,  and  healed  all  manner  of  bodily  infirmities. 
But  what  shall  we  say  of  those  who,  while  professing  to  teach 
in  his  name,  revoke  his  express  decision,  and  attribute  to 
charlatanism,  delusion  or  the  devil,  every  manifestation  of 
spiritual  power  akin  to  the  phenomena  occurring  in  his  own 
presence  and  that  of  his  original  disciples?  When  did  he  say 
that  the  power  to  heal  and  dispossess  the  mind  of  unclean  in- 
fluences should  be  confined  to  one  century,  and  that  the  age 
of  miracles  should  pass  never  to  return? 

"When,  as  a  student  at  college,  I  studied  eclesiastical 
history,  I  was  often  so  shocked  at  the  records  of  gross  immor- 
ality in  the  church  of  the  first  three  centuries,  even  among  the 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  41 

highest  dignitaries,  that  I  felt  like  throwing  up  my  studies 
and  renouncing  all  idea  of  the  ministry  as  my  field  of  activity; 
but  consolation  invariably  came  to  me  with  the  inward  assur- 
ance'that  Christ's  perfection,  not  the  weakness  of  his  prof essed 
followers,  is  to  be  our  guide  and  anchor,  and  thus  through 
'many  a  conflict,  many  a  doubt,'  I  clung  as  it  were,  to  the 
hem  of  the  garment  of  the  Spotless  One  and  realized  how 
weak  are  all  human  props,  how  breakable  if  not  broken  all 
finite  reeds.  Now  a  new  light  has  come  to  me  in  the  shape  of 
an  added  revelation.  During  my  sojourn  in  France,  I  have 
seen  the  power  of  the  spirit  demonstrated,  I  have  witnessed 
Christ-like  works  performed,  and  not  only  have  I  been  a  privi- 
leged spectator  of  cures  wrought  in  others;  I  have  personally 
felt  the  blesing  descend  upon  my  most  unworthy  self,  not  only 
in  the  opening  of  my  interior  vision  and  the  unfolding  of  my 
intellect,  but  also  in  the  strengthening  of  my  frame.  I  am  to- 
day a  far  stronger  and  healthier  man  than  when  I  last 
addressed  you,  but  though  I  agree  with  the  Christian  Scientists 
in  their  cardinal  premises  and  central  claims,  I  cannot  join 
their  ranks,  as  I  neither  render  allegiance  to  pretentious  indi- 
viduals, nor  do  I  consider  it  necessary  to  deny  the  existence 
of  the  material  universe,  because  I  believe  implicitly  in  the 
absolute  sovereignty  of  spirit. 

"Believe  me,  dear  friends,  atonement  or  reconciliation  is 
necessary  to  salvation  present  and  to  come,  but  it  is  our  ac- 
quaintance with  truth  and  obedience  to  the  divine  voice  which 
speaks  as  the  Holy  Spirit  in  our  own  inmost  nature,  that  con- 
stitutes the  reconciliation.  Next  Sunday  I  shall  speak  in  the 
morning  on,  "Why  men  believe  in  original  sin,"  and  in  the 
evening  on,  "In  what  sense  is  Christ  our  Savior?"  Between 
now  and  then  the  deacons  and  trustees  of  this  church  must 
decide  whether  those  sermons  are  delivered  in  this  edifice,  or 
whether  I  shall  accede  to  the  request  of  some  unsectarians 
who  wish  to  organize  an  entirely  sectless  society,  which  can 
meet  for  worship,  praise,  and  exhortation  in  our  commodious 
Town  Hall." 


42  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETQN, 

As  may  be  expected,  such  sentiments  could  not  fail  to 
excite  great  and  varied  comment  when  expressed  by  a  man 
whose  orthodoxy  had  formerly  been  sound,  and  who  was  still 
the  duly  installed  pastor  of  a  Baptist  society;  nevertheless,  so 
progressive  is  the  general  trend  of  modern  religious  thought, 
that  quite  a  considerable  number  of  members  declared  there 
was  nothing  whatever  to  which  they  intended  to  take  excep- 
tion in  Mr.  Templeton's  position.  The  almost  unanimous  ver- 
dict was  that  he  was  a  far  better  preacher  than  formerly,  that 
his  young  wife  was  a  jewel  of  a  woman,  and  they  were  not 
going  to  unsettle  their  minister  and  run  the  risk  of  breaking 
up  their  congregation  and  getting  a  most  undesirable  occu- 
pant for  the  pulpit,  because  Mr.  Templeton's  views  had  ex- 
panded and  he  no  longer  could  preach  the  weird  old  doctrines 
of  infinite  wrath  and  everlasting  damnation.  The  trustees  and 
deacons  held  a  private,  special  meeting  that  very  evening  in 
the  vestry,  and  with  one  exception,  voted  to  refuse  Mr.  Tem- 
pleton's proffered  resignation,  and  as  to  the  Baptist  Union,  if 
it  expelled  them  as  a  congregation,  they  owned  their  church 
property  and  could  worship  God  better  perhaps,  outside  sec- 
tarian limits  than  within  the  pale  of  an  exclusive  denomina- 
tion. 

Mr.  Mewle  was  furious;  his  denunciations  of  Mr.  Tem- 
pleton  became  so  acrid  and  ungentlemanly,  that  even  his  own 
friends  began  to  take  sides  against  him;  and  then  when  he 
began  to  wail  and  whimper  and  appropriate  to  himself  the 
blessing  promised  to  those  who  are  persecuted  for  righteous- 
ness' sake,  the  mask  fell  completely  off  in  the  presence  of 
many  of  his  old  admirers. 

#***•**•* 

It  is  a  fair  morning — a  Monday  morning,  and  the 
preacher  is  not  "blue,"  he  is  never  "blue"  nowadays.  All  is 
couleur  de  rose.  It  is  nine  o'clock  on  the  Monday  morning, 
following  the  second  Sunday  of  his  ministrations  since  his  re- 
turn to  Saddlerock.  A  pleasant  party  are  discussing  the  sub- 


ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON.  43 

i 
jects  nearest  to  all  their  hearts,  as  they  linger  over  the  remains 

of  a  simple  but  delicious  breakfast.  They  are  seated  in  a 
charming  room  overlooking  wide  pasture  lands,  with  towering 
hills  not  far  distant.  Mrs.  Finchley,  Mrs.  Templeton  Sr.,  Ones- 
imus  and  Lydia  Templeton,  constituted  a  group  once  seen, 
never  to  be  forgotten;  such  rest,  such  peace,  such  harmony, 
seldom  prevail  in  any  earthly  household.  They  are  talking  over 
matters  in  New  York,  of  a  wonderful  cure  of  typhoid  fever, 
and  another  of  total  paralysis  of  the  lower  limbs  just  accomp- 
lished by  Dr.  Maxwell,  through  the  agency  of  spiritual  elec- 
tricity; they  are  also  talking  of  Zenophon  and  the  marvelous 
progress  he  is  making  as  a  student  of  electrical  therapeutics, 
under  the  worthy  doctor's  kindly  supervision,  and  of  the 
strange  fate  which  befell  Mrs.  Catsleigh  after  one  week's 
sojourn  under  Dr.  Maxwell's  roof.  Count  Katolowynski  re- 
turned to  New  York,  proposed  to  her  and  married  her  the 
same  day.  On  the  day  following,  as  Countess  Katolowynski, 
she  left  312  Sycamore  avenue,  and  with  her  husband  sailed 
back  to  Europe.  Having  lost  control  of  Zenophon,  the  Count 
was  determined  to  secure  as  his  subject,  this  singular  lady, 
who  yielded  at  once  to  his  mesmeric  fascination,  declared  her- 
self passionately  in  love  with  him,  and  glad  to  follow  him  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth,  his  title  and  fine  appearance  being  no 
mean  considerations  in  her  eyes.  Beaming  with  satisfaction, 
she  answered  the  questions  in  the  marriage  service  without  the 
slightest  tinge  of  embarrassment.  Her  effusiveness  at  parting 
with  Mrs.  Finchley  was  melo-dramatic  in  the  extreme;  that 
good  woman  could  not  feel  glad  to  see  her  married  to  so  ad- 
venturous a  fellow  as  the  handsome  Count,  still  there  was 
much  that  was  congenial  in  their  natures,  and  let  us  hope  they 
may  have  at  least  as  much  happiness  as  they  deserve  in  their 
new  life  together. 

The  lessons  taught  the  Count  by  Heloise  had  evidently 
been  to  his  profit;  and  it  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  no  one  ever 
is  brought  into  the  atmosphere  of  a  truly  spiritual  person  with- 
out reaping  lasting  advantage. 


44  ONESIMUS  TEMPLETON. 

Mrs.  Pushing  had  just  returned  from  Newport,  where  she 
had  taken  a  class  in  Christian  Science,  at  $25  per  student. 
Fory-three  students  had  paid  her  that  amount  during  the  sum- 
mer, so  she  had  managed  to  meet  expenses,  though  on  her 
return  to  New  York  she  anticipated  much  greater  success 
financially.  She  missed  Miss  Hockmeir  fearfully,  and  was 
exasperated  beyond  words  when  she  found  Mrs.  Catsleigh, 
whom  she  hoped  to  secure  as  her  assistant,  had  married  and 
departed  for  Europe.  Mrs.  Pushing  had  endeavored  to  secure 
as  her  assistant  a  Miss  Sparrowcliffe,  but  that  lady  preferred 
to  reside  in  Boston,  where  she  became  secretary  of  the  Grim- 
alkin College  of  Spiritual  Science,  the  chief  teacher  in  which 
institution  was  Mrs.  Wolf  Katzenheimer,  who  taught  public 
classes  at  $3  per  student,  and  whose  printed  lectures  sold  at 
five  cents  each. 

As  during  the  past  four  years  our  many  characters  have 
not  been  idle,  we  shall,  if  the  demand  justifies,  publish  a 
sequel  to  this  story,  in  which  the  spiritual-electric  system  of 
healing  will  be  far  more  accurately  and  elaborately  defined 
than  in  the  foregoing  pages. 

As  the  reader  parts  company  with  our  heroes  and 
heroines,  let  him  remember  they  are  all  characters  in  real 
life,  but  so  dressed  as  not  to  betray  confidence,  or  invite  un- 
welcome attention  to  individuals,  some  of  whom  love  retire- 
ment far  more  than  publicity. 

The  author,  who  has  acted  but  as  recorder  and  amanuen- 
sis, assumes  no  responsibility  for  the  words  put  in  the  mouths 
of  the  characters.  The  reader  must  decide  for  himself  how  far 
the  theories  they  severally  advance  are  tenable. 

This  story  is  a  novel,  and  as  a  work  of  fiction  it  goes  to 
the  world;  but  the  author  knows  by  personal  experience  that 
in  this,  as  in  many  other  instances,  "truth  is  stranger  than 
fiction." 

FINIS. 


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i-'fcH    &>:•     1: 

EB  2?:. 


LD  21-100m-7,'40 (6936s) 


Teragl«t.on. 

Thomas 


23-1913 


BF60S 


Y.CICOOI5 


86  J918 


.' 


p  -' 


4 


/ 


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